Geographical etymology: a dictionary of place-names giving their derivations

by Christina Blackie

V

VALLIS (Lat.),
VAL and VALLÉE (Fr.),
VALLE (Span., Port., and It.),

a valley; e.g. Vallais (the land of valleys), in Switzerland—its inhabitants were formerly called Nantuates, i.e. valley dwellers; Val-de-Avallano (the valley of hazels); Val-de-fuentes (of fountains); Val-del-laguna (of the lagoon); Val-del-losa (of the flagstone); Val-del-Moro (of the Moor); Val-de-Olivas (of olive-trees); Val-de-penas (of the rocks); Val-de-robles (of the oak-trees), in Spain; Val-de-lys (the valley of streams), in the Pyrenees, from an old Provençal word lys (water); Vallée-de-Carol (of Charles), through which Charlemagne passed from his conquest of the Moors; Vallombrosa (the shady valley); Valparaiso (the valley of Paradise); Valtelline, in Lombardy, consisting of a long valley, traversed by the R. Adda and Teglio; Vaucluse, Lat. Vallis-clusa (the enclosed valley); Orvaux, Lat. Aure-vallis (the golden valley); Riéval, Lat. Regia-vallis (the royal valley); Vals (in the valley of the Volane); Vaucouleurs, Lat. Vallis-coloris (the valley of colour), in a valley of the R. Meuse, whose green and smiling meadows have given it this name; Gerveaux or Yorvaux, in Durham, Lat. Uri-vallis (the valley of the R. Ure); Pays-de-Vaud (the country of valleys or of the Waldenses); Clairvaux, Lat. Clara-vallis (the bright valley); Roncesvalles (the valleys abounding in briers); Vaudemont, Lat. Vallis-de-monte (the valley of the mountain); Val-di-chiana (the valley of the standing pool), in Italy.

VAR, VARAD (Hung.),

a fortress; e.g. Kolos-var, Ger. Klausenburg, anc. Claudipolis (the enclosed fortress, or the city of Claudius); Nagy-varad (great fortress); Vasvar, Ger. Eisenburg (iron fortress); Szamos-Ujvar (the new fortress), on the R. Zamos; Sarivar (palace fortress); Foldvar (the land fortress); Szekes-Fehervar, Ger. Stuhl-Weissenburg (the white fortress of the throne); Karoly-Fehervar or Karlsburg (Charles’s white fortress); Varosvar, Ger. Eisenthurm (the red fortress or iron tower), in Hungary; Ersek-Ujvar, Ger. Neuhausel (the bishop’s new fortress or seat).

VAROS (Hung.),

a town; e.g. Ujvaros (the new town); Also-varos (lower town); Szasz-varos, Ger. Sachsenstadt (the Saxon’s town.

VATN and VAND (Scand.),

a lake; e.g. Vatnsdalr (the valley of lakes); Arnarvatn (eagle lake); Fiskvatn (fish lake); Langavat (long lake); Steepavat (steep lake); Sanvatn (sandy lake); Miosen-Vand (little lake); Helgavatn (holy lake); Vatster (the lake dwelling); Myvatn (the lake of the midges); Vatnagaard (the farm on the lake).

VEGA (Span.),

a plain; e.g. Vega-de-la-neustra-Senora (the plain of our Lady); Vega-Espinarada (the plain surrounded by thorns).

VELIKA, or WELIKI (Sclav.),

great; e.g. Velikaia (the great river); Velikja-luki (the great marsh), in Russia; Welkawes (the great village or dwelling), in Sclavonia; Welka, Welkow, Welchau, Welchow, etc., with the same meaning.

VERNUS (Lat.),

the alder-tree, Cel. gwern; e.g. Verney, Vernez, Vernois, Vernoy, Verneuil, Vernieres, etc., the names of various places in France.

VIE, VE, WY (Scand.),

holy; e.g. Wydale (the holy valley); Wyborg, Weighton, Wisby, Wigthorpe (holy dwelling); Wigan, anc. Wibiggan (the holy building), in Lancashire; Wigton, in Cumberland (holy town); but Wigton, in Scotland (the town on the bay, vig); Sviga (holy river), in Russia; Sviajsk (the town on the holy river); Sveaborg and Viborg (holy town); Sviatos-nos (holy cape); Sviatskaia (holy town, or of the deity worshipped by the Sclavonians, called Sviatovid), in Russia.

VILLA (Lat.),

a farm, manor, or town, with its derivatives in the Romance languages; e.g. Villa-hermosa (the beautiful town); Villa-franca-de-panades (the free town of the bakers), in Spain. In France: Charleville (named after Charles, Duc de Nevers); Flamanville (founded by a colony of Flemings), in Normandy; Joinville, Lat. Jovis-Villa (the city of Jove, named from a Roman tower near the town); Luneville (the city of the moon), supposed to have been named from a temple to Diana; Offranville, in Normandy, Lat. Vulfrani Villa (the manor of Wulfran); Auberville and Aubervilliers (the manors of Albert); Thionville (the manor of Theodone), Lat. Theodonis Villa; La Ville-tertre (hill town); Deville, formerly Dei Villa (the city of God); Marteville, Lat. Martis Villa (of Mars); Villa-Viçosa (abundant town), in Spain and Portugal; Villa-rica (rich town); Yeovil, in Somerset (the town on the R. Yeo); Maxwell, in Kirkcudbright and in Roxburghshire, corrupt. from Maccusville (the manor or settlement of Maccus, to whom the lands were given by David I.); Philipville or Philipstadt, in Belgium (named by Charles V. after his son); Louisville, in the United States (named after Louis XVI., whose troops assisted the Americans in the War of Independence).

VINEA, VINETUM (Lat.),

a vineyard; e.g. Le Vignæ, La Vignelle, Les Vigneaux, Vigneaux, Vigny, Vinax, and places abounding in the vine; La Vigne, in France.

VOE (Scand.),
VOGR,

a bay; e.g. Leirvogr (mud bay); Laxvoe (salmon bay); Siliavoe (herring bay); Grunavoe (green bay); Westvoe (west bay); Aithsvoe (the bay on the aith or headland); Sandvoe (sandy bay); Kaltenwaag (cold bay); Vaage (on the bay), a town in Norway.

VORM (Ger.),

in front of; e.g. Vormbach, Vormbusch, Vormhorst, Vormhagen (in front of the brook, thicket, wood, and hedge).