Etymology of some names of places

A

short form of Alpage, field where animals graze, also written Alp, Ar, Arp, At and Au [from Latin alpa]

Abergement

field used by a farmer who pays the owner in exchange [from aberger, used in the Jura]

Adret

the sunny side of a valley, opposite of Ubac [from à droite, on the good side]

Aigue

a small stream, sometimes a spring, often used in combinations like Noiraigue, Aigueblanche which indicate properties of the water [from Latin aqua, water]

Armaille

cow, occurs as part of a name, an armailli is a person who takes care of cows (sometimes also other animals such as goats) and who usually makes cheese from their milk [in use in French speaking Switzerland since at least 1497, might derive from the French animalier]

Arolla

a member of the pine family of conifers, Pinus Cembra, also written Arola, Arolle and Arole [of unknown, pre-Latin origin, still in use]

Autannes

area where animals graze in August. also written Autans, Otanes, Ottans and Outannes, compare with Mayen [from Latin augustanae]

Avouille

See Ouille.

Avril

sometimes a deformation of Avri, a sunny mountain [from Latin (mons) apricus, sunny mountain]

Baisse

low part of a valley, sometimes also a lower part in a crest also written Baissière, Basse, Baiche, Bessa and Besseau, not to be mixed up with Besso nor with Besse [dialect forms of present day French]

Bandon

presumably meaning flag or weapon, showing power and sovereignty [probably from the German Band]

Barasson

could be a family name from the Val d'Aosta, or a fenced field where animals graze [from Valdostan baradzo]

Baron

usually a prominent mountain [either related to the Gaelic bar, a peak, a summit, or a variant of the Chablais dialect bara, a heap of straw or of stones]

Barme

a cave in the rocks, a place where there is either a cave or a shelter for animals, also written Balme (Valais), Baume (Jura), the form Balmasse is used when the shelter is of poor quality [of a pre-indoeuropean root bal, bel, bol meaning rock]

Besse

birch [from Latin betula]

Besso

double or twins, also written -besse [Val d'Herens dialect]

Bisse

A water conduct from the mountains down into the valley, mainly to irrigate land for agriculture, many can still be seen in the Valais, in France usually written Bief and in Neuchâtel Bied, sometimes also By, where it has the broader meaning of canal [Bisse is Valais dialect and is still in use, from late Latin bedum, probably of Gaulic origin]

Breuil

originally, a fenced field, then a forest, also fenced in, and finally a marsh, a wet land, or a wet forest, the name is sometimes applied to mountains located above such fields, forests and marshes, also written Braoulé and probably Brulé [from popular Latin brogilum, then Gaulish broga, both refering to a closed field, then Italian broglio, forest surrounded by walls, and finally old High German Brogil, wet land]

Buet

used for areas where cows graze, or for features located near and above such areas [from the dialect word bovet, field where cows graze]

Cerne

a fence around a field or a forest area belonging to an individual, can also refer to a fenced in field or a field surrounded by forest, as well as the chalet built in such an area, also written Cernil, Cernu, Cernois, Cierne, Cernil [from pre-Celtic cant or canto, alternatively from the Latin circinare, surround]

Châble

a naturally formed steep couloir through a forest, normally following the gradient, used to transport logs, occasionally also other items such as straw [from châbler originally probably meaning to haul, more recently used to describe transport of goods through such a couloir]

Chabot

building in the middle of the vineyards where the grapes are made into wine; in this scheme of wine making, the wine rather than the grapes are taken down into the valley [term in use in the Val d'Aosta]

Chaille

an area littered with stones, usually not very suitable for agricultural purposes

Chanton

small hill, a variant is Tsanton, and also Catogne seems to have the same meaning [from pre-Celtic cant or canto]

Chardonnet

probably a place where thistles grow, name often applied to peaks located above such areas, also written Chardoney, Tsardonney, Tsardon [from French chardon]

Chat

a ragged crest [from the Chablais dialect chaz, sciaz, a saw]

Châtillon

defense works along Roman roads, another form is Châtelet [from Latin]

Chaux

high field where animals graze, often barren and above the tree line but with some vegetation, a variant is Calme, in the Valais dialects the word is written Tsâ, in the Vaud also Tso is used, diminutive forms are Tsarmine, Tsarmette and Tsalion, should not be mixed up with Tsan which is a field where cereals are grown, the word is used in the Jura for an open bottom of a valley [from pre-Celtic calmis, high barren plateau]

Chavannes

group of small wooden huts and houses built from stones piled up without cement, usually on the hills above the plains

Chésery

an area where there are (or were) shelters for shepherds, of the same origin as Tsijiore, which usually indicates that cheese used to be made there [from late Latin casaria shelter]

Chillon

a flat stone, a slab [Chablais dialect]

Clapier

a pile of stones, or a field covered with stones, same root as Lapia, which has in some areas roughly the same meaning, and also as Grépon [word still in use in the Provence, in the Southern Alps and in Occitan as Clap, stone fragments, and in the Val d'Aosta as Clapey, from a pre-Indo-European radical clappa,]

Cluse

A narrow passage between rocks, also used for a village located in or near such a passage [from Latin claudere, to confine]

Coeur

with a few exceptions like the Coeurgrat of the Obergabelhorn, which has a rocky patch in the shape of a heart in a glacier, not related to hearts but to col, pass, also written Cou with diminutive form Collon [from Valais and Chablais dialect kieu, queu, keu meaning pass, mixed up with the word for heart, thieu]

Combe

coomb, a valley in the flank of a mountain, in principle above the highest springs, various diminutives exist: Combasses, Comballon, combettes etc. [from Celtic comb, in present day Welsh cwm, dale or valley]

Combin

origin not known

Conche

a lower lying area, occasionally also used for features located close to or above such areas [from late Latin concavam terram, depression in the landscape]

Condamines

in the Jura and Savoie, the territory of a villa that is under the control of the curtis, also written Contamines, [from late Latin indominicatus] In Switzerland similar names designate lands under the joint control of several, usually neighbouring, rural villages ("Orte", the predecessors of the cantons) [from late Latin condominia]

Court

sometimes used to designate the subdivisions of the villae that appeared around the VI'th century in, for instance, the Pays de Gex [from Latin curtis]

Darbé

a place where there is or used to be a fir tree forest, also written Daille, Darbey, diminutive forms are Darbelay and Darbellay, not to be mixed up with Darbo [from Savoie dialects, a small fir]

Darbo

a field infested with moles, perhaps also written Darbon, not to be mixed up with Darbé [from Latin darbo, a mole]

Dare

a branch of a fir tree with all needles still in place, used to protect plants from frost and to start a fire, also written Darre, Dard, Dar, Dârre, Dharre and in the Vaud also Dé, probably related to Darbé [still in use in Neuchâtel, Jura and to a lesser extent in the Vaud and Valais]

Darrey

high field, also written Darray [perhaps related to derrière]

Dru 1

a rich field fertilised with dung, name sometimes given to mountains located above such fields, other forms are Drou, Drouk [Valais dialect drou, drudze, meaning both dung and abundant]

Dru 2

a fir tree, there are claims that Durand, as well as Durance and Drance are derived from this, Durand could be a variation of Druant, while the latter would be more plausible related to Dora, river [from Gaulish dru, fir tree]

Ecandies

something that is hidden, also written Ecandies, Econdoi, Econdoué, Econdua, Econduits [from Latin excondere, to hide]

Egg

a mountain in the form of a crest, sometimes written Eg, often used in composed names such as Kaiseregg or Piz Roseg [Swiss German]

Essertée

an area in which all trees have been cut and which is covered covered with bushes

Etraz

a street covered with a hard surface, in the Pays de Gex used for places where Roman roads passed, see also Vi, not to be confused with Etre [from Latin stratus]

Fache, Fasse, Face

a band of grass between rocks, similar to louette, [from Latin fascia a, mainly horizontal, strip]

Färich

an area enclosed by a stone wall in which sheep or other cattle are kept overnight, sometimes also in names of peaks located above, e.g. Färichhorn [in use in the German speaking part of Wallis]

Fe

Sometimes used in composed names, refers to sheep and by extension occasionally also goats [from late-Latin feta, foeta]

Ferret

an area particularly rich in food for animals [from late-Latin ferratus, rich in food]

Fie

refers to a variety of trees, such as fir, spruce and redwood

Flon

related to a river, also found in the forms Flumen and Flumet [from Latin flumen, river]

Forcla

usually a pass crossing, occasionally also a bifurcation, also written Forca, Furca, the diminutive form is Forcletta [from Latin furcula, fork]

Fourchon

a fork [from old French]

Frasse

an area in which the ash (a kind of tree) grows, occurs in many variations such as Frasne, Francy, Frenière, Franière, Frenoz [from Latin fraxinus, ash, a tree which in present day French is called Frêne]

Fruitière

a farm which produces cheese, in some areas (e.g. Reblochon) the term designates a group of farmers that collectively make cheese, intermediate between farmers that make their own cheese and larger scale cheese factories [term still in use in Jura, Chablais, Aravis and neighbouring areas]

Frümsel

a marked peak with ragged crests, sticking out from the surrounding landscape [from frumisal, in turn derived from the old German frum, forward, and the old High German frummen, bring forward]

Golette

a narrow passage, also written Golet and Goule [related to the present French goulot and gueule, from Latin gula, mouth and throat]

Gouille

a pond or a small lake often located at the bottom on a valley or in moraines, other forms are Gole, Golassons, Golliat, Gotte [from mediaeval Latin gollia, hole, pond]

Grammont

name given to several mountains that look impressive, also written Gramont and Crammont [from Latin grandis mons, high mountain]

Grépon

refers to a peak, a gendarme or other rock sticking out, remotely related to Clapier and Lapia [from a pre-Indo-European radical crappa and grep, stone]

Hérens

The origin of the name is debated. One possible explanation is that the name comes from a (Germanic) family name Haro ingis which led to Eroens and finally Hérens while moving up in the valley. Tracing the origin to a Germanic name is less exotic than it may sound since also Sion and Hérémence have such a (and better proven) origin (respectively from Suens and Aremens).

Itre

Shelter for shephards, mainly in the Valais, also written Itro, Etre, Etry, Etrye, not to be confused with Etraz [from Latin extera, outdoors]

Joux

a forest, the name Jura is derived from the same origin, keep in mind that the flatter, upper part of the Jura is only since a few centuries used for cattle [from a Celtic root, via the Gaulish jor, juria, forest, related to Slavic gora, mountain]

Lanche

a narrow strip of of land between two lower areas or between two rocks, [from Latin lanca]

Lapia

either synonymous to Clapier in the Val d'Hérens, or, especially in the Jura, describing a polished former glacier bed of calcareous rock, with numerous channels carved out by melting water. also written Lapié, Liapay, Liapey, Liapec, Lapiaz [from the same pre-Indo-European radicals lap, cal and clappa as Clapier, probably influenced by the popular Latin lapis, stone]

Lé

a rock slab or a rock face, alternative forms are Li, Ly, Lys, Lie, Lix, not to be mixed up with Lui and Lette [from Gaulish lica]

Léchère

a marsh, also written Lèches, Léchaire, Léchière, Léchire [from popular Latin lisca, sedge, a plant which grows in wet areas]

Lette

a strip of grass between two rocky areas, also written Louette, Laite and Letta, diminutive is Letton, not to be mixed up with Lé and Lui [related to Italian loïta, of a Celtic word for lawn]

Lion

river or a small stream also written Lionne, Lyonne, Liène, Lienne, related to Nant [from Celtic gllon, glennos, flowing water]

Lire

river beds littered with pebbles, occasionally also such moraines, also written Glière, Lyre, Glarey name sometimes given to passes, peaks etc. located above such rivers and moraines [from Latin glarea, gravel]

Lovenex

used in several names of places, probably to indicate that wolves have been seen there [from lovin, wolf]

Lui

either a steep grassy couloir, or a mountain face in which such couloirs are present, related to the German Fluh, the name is often used for a much larger area than the actual couloir, other forms are Luette, Luesse, Lué, Luy, Loué, Louette, Luisin, not to be mixed up with Lé and Lette [from Latin mons laucinus which is derived from the Celtic loke, probably older]

Maladière

a place where, in the late Middle Ages (XIth and XIIth century), people suffering from various diseases, and in particular lepra, were living together, at a safe distance from the villages [French]

Marmot

a cat sized, burrowing, hibernating rodent living in mountainous areas all around the world [from Latin mus montis, mountain mouse]

Maya

something conical, in the shape of a haystack, variants are Meya, Meyes [from Latin meta, haystack]

Mayen

field at average altitude where animals graze in May, compare with Autannes [from Latin majus, the month of May]

Meitin

has approximately the same meaning as Momin namely a mountain that is on the border line between two valleys or that is otherwise located centrally [from old French moitenc, middle]

Menouve

area reserved for small cattle, a variant is Meneuve [Valdostan dialect, from Latin minutae (bestiae), small animals]

Métairie

a farm held on share tenancy, i.e. the tenant (called métayer) gives half of the product of the land as rent to the owner, as opposed to the Ferme where the tenant pays a fixed price, either in natura or in money, in exchange for the use of the land [present day French, from old French moitoier, share in two, and from Latin firmus, fixed]

Molard

a bump, a pile of stones (e.g. those collected from a field in which cattle is grazing), a hill, other forms are Mollard, Moleire, maybe also Moline [either from Latin mola, a mill stone or a pile of earth, or from Celtic mell, moel, rock]

Momin

indicates a mountain that separates two valleys, also written Moming, the root -min (=middle) also occurs in several composed names as -min, Miné, Mina, [from Latin mons medianus, middle mountain]

Moyat

wet area, also spelled Moillat [from French mouillé, wet]

Mountet

Small mountain or something located above a small mountain [from Latin monticulus]

Nant

A fast flowing mountain stream, typically in a narrow valley, occasionally also used to designate the valley, probably of the same origin as Glion, in Rhetoromansch speaking areas written as Glun, related to Lion [from Celtic glennos, valley or nantu, also valley]

Naye

Of uncertain origin, probably meaning something that is high. [presumably from Celtic cnec]

Oche

Can have several meanings: something that is high, a dip in a crest or a pass, in the form Ouche a usually fenced field for animals or an orchard [respectively from Celtic uxellos, a high point, from Chablais dialect ouche, a carved out piece, from late Latin olca]

Ogier

Something hollow, such as a trail carved out in the landscape by numerous people or animals, also written Audon, Audzi, Auges, Ouzon, Odye, Ozye,Oujet, Odzié [the form Oujet is Valais dialect and Ouio is Valdostan, from Latin alveus, trough]]

-onne

Anything related to water, often in names of places such as Divonne, in the Valais and Savoie also written -enaz and -innaz as in Ovronnaz, the terminal "ez" and "az" are pronounced as a soft "e" [from a Gaulic root -onna, water]

Or

Apart from rare cases where gold was really found, the name normally indicates that one or more rivers find their origin there. The word usually appears in forms such as Mont d'Or, where the apostrophe hides the link with such names as Dora, probably also Durance. [in French, or means gold, dora is still found in the names of several rivers in N Italy, the root or indicates motion]

Ottans

For Otans, Ottans, Outanes see Autannes.

Ouille

sharp peak, summit, the usual French word for peak, Aiguille is of the same origin as are Aouille, Avouille, even Epicoune might have the same origin, the diminutive forms are Avouillons, Avollions, the connection with Avoudrues is not established [from Latin acucula, peak]

Pacheu

a passage, a variant is Pascheu [old forms from a Vaud dialect, nowadays the same dialects use passiau, a door in a fence]

Perfia

used for rocks that have a hole in them [Chablais dialect]

Perroc

an area littered with gravel or boulders, variants include Perro, Perré, Perrec, Perraire, [from Latin petra, stone]

Pertuis

a pass, but also a lower area in the landscape [Chablais dialect, also found in the Jura]

Pigne

a ragged crest, looking like a comb [from Valais dialect pigno, from Latin pecten, comb]

Pissoire

a small waterfall [present day French]

Plan

a relatively flat area, also written Plaine, Plagne [present day French]

Pui

higher areas, but not peaks, variants include Pou, Peu, Pey, Puy, Poude, the derived forms Poyet, Poya usually indicates a place where one has to go up a hill [from late-Latin podium]

Raye

a pit or a trench, a crack in rocks or a small couloir, other forms are Raie, Reye, Rayon, Reille, Raille, a diminutive form is Rayette [from Gaulish rica and late-Latin riga]

Reculaz

a field or a peak that is remote, also written Reculet, sometimes the root Cul is used alone in names, with a similar meaning implying remoteness [from Latin, similar to present day French reculé]

Réfien

either a twisted couloir, or short for refia de tsena, filled with couloirs [probably Valais dialect]

Reuse

used mainly in composed names, refers both to a stream of melting water of a glacier and to the glacier area itself [probably Valais dialect]

Rigole

a small and narrow stream, usually steep [from Dutch Regel, line]

Rognon

a rock that has a rounded form, or (in the form Rognoc) indicating something that is crumbling, of a different origin than Rogneux [from Latin renio, kidney]

Rogneux

well isolated rock, of a different origin than Rognon [from Latin rotundiare, to cut around]

Rosa

nothing to do with the colour or the flower, but meaning glacier, also written Rose, of the same origin as Reuse [from Valpelline dialect roèse or Val d'Aosta dialect ruise]

Ruan

of uncertain origin, either meaning that something is red or else that something has a rough appearance [either from Valais dialect rouyan, red, or from Latin ravidanus, rough]

Sagne

a place where one finds peat, also written as Saigne, Seigne [from Gaulic sagna, wet land]

Saix

a rock, often a summit, occurs in many variants such as Sasse, Sex, Sciez, Six and in the diminutive or composed forms Saxelles, Sasille, Chasse, Sasset, Sasseneire etc. [from Latin saxum, rock]

Sallière

a prominent peak or rock [from the Celtic root sal, sticking out, mountain]

Savolaire

probably indicating a relation to a small forest [presumably a diminutive form of the Latin silva, forest]

Séreu

indicates a double peak [from Chablais and Valais dialects sereu, sister]

Singline

a narrow path, a ledge or a small cornice covered with grass, also written Singlio, Singla, in German speaking areas, the non-dimunitive form Tsingel occurs in many names, often refering to a arc-shaped crest [from Latin cingulina, small sling, dimunitive form of cingulum, belt]

Suchet

a not very sharp hill, also written Suche, related to Suc in the Dauphiné and Tschuggen in Swiss German [dialect words]

Tavé

a small flat area, [from the Latin tabula which gave the Valais dialect tavé, a mould to make blocks of butter or a wooden plate to compress a cheese in the mould]

Tita

other way of writing tête, head

Toûno

usually a "stone man" or other pile of stones at a summit, an important way point or a triangulation point, in the Bas-Valais, the name Bonhomme is used for the same thing, a variant is Touéno [from the name Antoine]

Tour

a bump, something sticking out, this (male) word is not to be mixed up with the present French (female) word la Tour for tower [from Latin torus]

Truche

a rock, originally meant as one over which one stumbles, also written Treutse [from Latin trudere, to stumble]

Tsale

like Zalet, another way of writing Chalet, even though the chalet itself can be absent [chalet derives from the medieval Latin calittum, which might come from an Indoeuropean root cala, a shelter made from stones piled up without using cement]

Tsa

for Tsa and Tsâ, see Chaux

Tsan

field where one grows cereals, this (male) word is very often mixed up with the (female) word Tsâ, which is a field where animals graze [Val d'Hérens dialect, the plural of male words in this dialect is the same as the singular]

Tsaté

rocks that look like a castle, occasionally also a bump on which a castle could have been built, also written Zaté, diminutive forms are Tsatelet, Tsahélet [from old French chastel, castle]

Tséna

couloir, narrow valley, channel, other forms are Tsenâ, Tsina, Chenal, Chenau and the diminutive form is Chenalette [from old French chenal]

Tseudet

name used for streams that do not freeze in winter, and also for features located in the neighbourhood [Valais dialect, indicates something warm]

Tsijiore

area where there used to be a chalet making cheese, another form is Tsidjiore, Chésery is of the same origin but without the emphasis on cheese making [from Latin case-aria]

Tsousse

of uncertain origin, name given to a feature located above a field through which one walks [from Latin calcare walk over something]

Ubac

the side of a valley that is in the shadow, opposite of Adret [from Latin Opacus, sombre, dark]

Vanil

rocky summit [from Celtic vanno, slope, or pre-Celtic van, pile of rocks, variations of this root include ben, pen and ven]

Vaux

valley, composed forms are Valsorey probably meaning a valley located high up, Vallorcine, valley of the bears diminutives are Valette, Veudale, Vogealle [from Latin vallis, valley and superioris]

Veisivi

an area where animals are kept that did not yet have youngs [from Latin vacivus, empty]

Véla

short for Vélar, a field where calves graze, not to be mixed up with Vélan, nor with Villa [from Latin vitellus, veal]

Vélan

something ugly or nasty, not to be mixed up with Véla, nor with Villa [Valais dialect, from Latin vilanus, ugly, gloomy]

Vi

the main road, or something built alongside the main road, also spelled Vy, see also Etraz, [from Latin via, road]

Villa

a group of houses or chalets, not to be mixed up with Vélan, nor with Véla [from Gallo-Roman]

Vouasson

originally, a place where one had to wade through the mud, name also given to things located higher up. A Vouasseur was a person who fixed the leaks in the Bisse using a mixture of mud and plant rests. [from Valais dialect vouassá, walk through water or mud]

-y

some names of places ending in -y in the Pays de Gex can be traced back to Roman villae, originally the smallest scale subdivision of the land, later larger scale communities, Thoiry is the villa of Tullius, Chevry the one of Severus, Cessy belonged to Sisses and Léaz to Livia [from the Latin suffix -iacus, a place, an area]