German placename etymology - Definition and Overview

Placenames in the German language area can be classified by the language from which they originate, and by their age.

• Celtic names, used in prehistoric times in the southern and western parts of the German language area. Examples: Mainz (from Latin Moguntiacum, derived from a Celtic name), Remagen (from Latin Rigomagus, from a Celtic name meaning "king's field").

• Latin names:
  • from classical times, when the southern and western parts of the German language area belonged to the Roman Empire. Examples: Koblenz (from Confluentes "joining rivers"), Köln (Cologne) (from Colonia "colony"), Aachen (from Aquae "springs"), Augsburg (from Augusta "city of Augustus" and the Germanic suffix -burg).
  • from medieval times, when Latin was the language of church and administration. Examples: München (Munich) (from monachus "monk"), Münster (from monasterium "monastery").

• Slavic names. From the Iron Age until recently, Slavic languages such as Polabian, Sorbian and Slovenian were spoken in many eastern parts of the German language area. Examples: Berlin, Chemnitz (from Caminici), Leuna (from Lunaw), Rostock (from Old Polabian rostok "river fork"), Schwerin.

• Germanic names:
  • from prehistoric times. Typical forms are:
    • with the suffix -um or -heim (cognate to English home and the English place name suffix -ham). Examples: Bochum, Borkum, Büsum.
    • with the suffix -ingen (meaning "descendants of", used with a personal name as the first part). Examples: Göttingen, Sindelfingen, Sigmaringen, Tübingen.
  • German names from medieval times. Some typical forms are:
    • with the suffix -stadt or -stedt ("city"). Examples: Darmstadt, Neustadt.
    • with the suffix -burg ("castle"). Examples: Hamburg, Duisburg, Freiburg, Luxembourg (Luxembourg), Regensburg, Salzburg, Straßburg (Strasbourg).
    • with the suffix -berg ("mountain"). Example: Heidelberg, Nürnberg (Nuremberg).
    • with the suffix -dorf or -torf ("village"). Example: Düsseldorf.
    • with the suffix -furt ("ford"). Examples: Erfurt, Frankfurt.
    • with the suffix -brücken or -brück ("bridge"). Example: Saarbrücken, Osnabrück.
    • with the suffix -hausen ("house"). Examples: Mülhausen, Schaffhausen.
    • with the suffix -feld ("field"). Example: Bielefeld.
    • with the suffix -werth, -wörth or -ort ("holm"). Example: Kaiserswerth, Donauwörth, Ruhrort
  • German names from modern times. They usually follow the established patterns. Examples: Wuppertal ("Wupper valley"), Karl-Marx-Stadt ("Karl Marx city"), Wilhelmshaven ("William's harbour", referring to King Wilhelm I of Prussia).

See also

• Placename etymology