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Caer

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{{#invoke:other uses|otheruses}} Template:Short description

File:Cardiff Castle North Gate - geograph.org.uk - 558526.jpg
The north gate of Cardiff Castle, following the old Roman fortifications and rebuilt along Roman lines.

Caer ({{#invoke:IPA|main}}; Template:Langx or {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) is a placename element in Welsh meaning "stronghold", "fortress", or "citadel",<ref>Carlisle, Nicholas. Topographical Dictionary of the Dominion of Wales, "Glossary", p. xxx. W. Bulmer & Co. (London), 1811.</ref> roughly equivalent to an Old English suffix (-ceaster) now variously written as [[Chester (placename element)|Template:Nowrap, Template:Nowrap, and Template:Nowrap]].<ref name=chessie>Allen, Grant. "Casters and Chesters" in The Cornhill Magazine, Vol. XLV, pp. 419 ff. Smith, Elder, & Co. (London), 1882.</ref>Template:Refn

In modern Welsh orthography, caer is usually written as a prefix, although it was formerly—particularly in Latin—written as a separate word. The Breton equivalent is kêr, which is present in many Breton placenames as the prefix Ker-.

EtymologyEdit

The term is thought to have derived from the Brittonic *kagro- and to be cognate with cae ("field, enclosed piece of land").<ref>Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru, vol. 1, p. 384.</ref> Although stone castles were largely introduced to Wales by the invading Normans, "caer" was and remains used to describe the settlements around some of them as well. An example is the Roman fort at Caernarfon, formerly known in Welsh as {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} from its position on the Seiont; the later Edwardian castle and its community were distinguished as {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} ("fort in Arfon", the latter being a district name (Cantref Arfon) from "ar Fôn", "(land) opposite Môn or Anglesey").<ref name=chessie /> However, the modern names of the Roman fort and Edwardian castle themselves are now {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} or {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, while the communities carry on the name caer.

Note that the term is not believed to be related to the Irish cathair ("city"), which is instead derived from Proto-Celtic *katrixs, *catarax ("fortification").<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

BritainEdit

Gildas's account of the Saxon invasions of Britain claimed that there were 28 fortified Roman cities (Template:Langx) on the island, without listing them.Template:Refn The History of the Britons traditionally attributed to Nennius includes a list of the 28, all of which are called "caer".<ref name=cc>"JTK". "Civitas" in Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia, Vol. I, p. 451. ABC-CLIO (Sta. Barbara), 2006.</ref>Template:Refn Controversy exists over whether this list includes only Roman cities or a mixture of Roman cities and non-Roman settlements.<ref>Breeze, Andrew. "Historia Brittonum" and Britain's Twenty-Eight Cities at Journal of Literary Onomastics. 2016.</ref> Some of the place names that have been proposed include:

File:Britain roman.png
Roman Britain (1911).

WalesEdit

File:Caernarfon Castle 1994.jpg
Caernarfon derives its name from the Edwardian Caernarfon Castle
File:Segontium from the A4085 - geograph.org.uk - 267505.jpg
The Roman fort now known as Segontium derived its name from a latinization of the British community along the Afon Seiont<ref name=chessie />

The element caer, sometimes anglicized as car, is found in several place-names in Wales such as:

  • Caerau, Glamorgan ("Forts")<ref name="Deacon2020">Template:Cite news</ref>
  • Caereinion, Montgomeryshire ("Fort on the Einion")<ref name="Morgan1912" />
  • Caerfallwch, Flintshire ("Afallach's fort")<ref name="Morgan1912" />
  • Caerfarchell, Pembrokeshire ("Marchell's fort")<ref name="pemcoast">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

EnglandEdit

The Cumbric language was spoken in Northern England until the Medieval era in which the element caer ("fort") was used in naming places.<ref name="BLITON" /> It also appears in Cornish place-names as Ker-.<ref name="BLITON" />

  • Caermote, Cumberland (Caermollt, "Fort of the wether")<ref name="BLITON" />
  • Cardew, Cumberland (Caerdu, "Black fort")<ref name="BLITON" />
  • Cardunneth, Cumberland (Caerdunawd, "Dünǭd's fort")<ref name="BLITON" />
  • Cardurnock, Cumberland (Caerdwrnog, "Fort of the fist-sized stones")<ref name="BLITON" />
  • Cargo, Cumberland (Caergoll, "Fort of hazel")<ref name="BLITON" />
  • Carhullan, Westmorland ("Fort of Holland")<ref name="BLITON" />
  • Carrick, Northumberland (Caerwig, "vicus fort")<ref name="BLITON" />
  • Carlatton, Cumberland ("Fort of the leek enclosure")<ref name="BLITON" />
  • Carlisle, Cumberland ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, "Fort Luguwalos")<ref name="BLITON">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

  • Carmolt, Cumberland (Caermollt, "Fort of the wether")<ref name="BLITON" />
  • Carrycoats, Northumberland ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, "Fort of the wood")<ref name="BLITON" />
  • Carvoran, Northumberland ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, "Fort of the Morini")<ref name="BLITON" />
  • Kerrier, Cornwall<ref name="D. Mills, 2011">A. D. Mills, A Dictionary of British Place Names (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011), s.v.</ref>

Caer is also found in Welsh exonyms for English cities.

File:Carriden House.jpg
Carriden House, a refurbished Roman fort which formerly formed part of the Antonine Wall in Scotland.

ScotlandEdit

Cumbric and Pictish were Brittonic languages spoken in Scotland until around the 12th century, and caer ("fort") was a place-naming element in both languages.<ref name="BLITON" /><ref name="PNF" />

  • Caerketton, Midlothian ("Fort of Catel")<ref name="BLITON" />
  • Caerlanrig, Roxburghshire ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}; "Fort Clearing")<ref name="BLITON" />
  • Caerlaverock, Dumfriesshire ("Fort of Llywarch")<ref name="BLITON" />
  • Carcluie, Ayrshire ("Fort of Clewein")<ref name="BLITON" />
  • Carden, Fife. Formerly Cardenni<ref name="PNF" />
  • Cardonald, Renfrewshire ("Duμnwal's fort")<ref name="BLITON" />
  • Carleith, Dunbartonshire<ref name="BLITON" />
  • Carmichael, Lanarkshire ("Fort of Saint Michael")
  • Carmuirs, Stirlingshire<ref name="BLITON" />
  • Carmurie, Fife ("Fort of the Sea")<ref name="PNF" />
  • Carmyllie, Angus ("Fort of the warrior")<ref name="cpns" />
  • Carpow, Perthshire ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}; "Fort of the sluggish stream")<ref name="PNF" />
  • Carriden, West Lothian ("Fort Eidyn")
  • Carruthers, Dumfriesshire ("Fort of Rhodri")<ref name="BLITON" />
  • Carstairs, Lanarkshire ("Fort of the Tarras")<ref name="BLITON" />
  • Crail, Fife ("Fort of the rock")<ref name="PNF">Template:Cite book</ref>
  • Cramond, Midlothian ("Fort Almond")
  • Kair, Kincardineshire ("Fort")<ref name="cpns" />
  • Keir, Aberdeenshire ("Fort")<ref name="cpns">Template:Cite book</ref>
  • Keir, Dumfries-shire ("Fort")<ref name="BLITON" />
  • Keir, Stirlingshire ("Fort")<ref name="pp">Template:Cite book</ref>
  • Keirhill, West Lothian<ref name="BLITON" />
  • Keirs, Ayrshire<ref name="BLITON" />
  • Kirkbuddo, Angus ("Fort of Buiteoc")<ref name="pp" />
  • Kirkcaldy, Fife ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}; "place of the hard fort" or "place of Caled's fort")<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

  • Kirkintilloch, Dunbartonshire. Formerly Caerpentaloch<ref name="BLITON" />

In fictionEdit

See alsoEdit

ReferencesEdit

Template:Reflist

Template:Fortifications

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