Caer

{{#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-.

Etymology

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>

Britain

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).

• Cair Brithon ("Fort of the Britons": Dumbarton in Strathclyde<ref name=nashford />Template:Refn)
• Cair Caratauc ("Fort Rampart": Salisbury?<ref name=shusher /> Sellack?<ref name=nashford />)
• Cair Ceint ("Fort Kent": Canterbury)
• Cair Celemion (Camalet?Template:Refn Silchester?<ref name=nashford />)
• Cair Colun ("Fort Colonia": Colchester?<ref name=nashford /><ref name=shusher />)
• Cair Custoeint ("Fort Constantius or Constantine": Caernarfon;Template:Refn or Template:Abbr a Devonian hillfortTemplate:Refn)
• Cair Daun ("Fort Don": Doncaster)
• Cair Draitou (Drayton?<ref name=shusher /> Dunster?<ref name=nashford />)
• Cair Ebrauc ("Fort York": York)
• Cair Grauth ("Fort Granta": CambridgeTemplate:Refn)
• Cair Guent ("Fort Venta": Caerwent<ref name=nashford /> or Winchester<ref name=shusher />)
• Cair Guinntguic ("Fort Venta": Winchester?<ref name=nashford /> Norwich or Winwick?<ref name=shusher />)
• Cair Guiragon ("Fort Weorgoran": Worcester)
• Cair Guorthigirn ("Fort Vortigern": Little Doward?<ref name=nashford /> Carmarthen?<ref>Veprauskas, Michael. "The Problem of Caer Guorthigirn" at Vortigern Studies. 1998.</ref>)
• Cair Guricon (Warwick?<ref name=shusher /> Wroxeter?<ref name=nashford />)
• Cair Legeion Guar Usic ("Fort Legion on the Usk": Caerleon-upon-Usk)
• Cair Legion ("Fort Legion": Chester)
• Cair Lerion ("Fort Leir": Leicester)
• Cair Ligualid ("Fort Luguwalos": Carlisle)
• Cair Luit Coyt ("Fort Grey Wood": WallTemplate:Refn)
• Cair Lundem ("Fort Londinium": LondonTemplate:Refn)
• Cair Maunguid (Manchester?)
• Cair Meguaid ("Fort Mediolanum": Meifod?<ref name=nashford /><ref name=shusher /> Llanfyllin?<ref name=rob>Williams, Robert. "A History of the Parish of Llanfyllin" in Collections Historical & Archaeological Relating to Montgomeryshire, Vol. III, p. 59. J. Russell Smith (London), 1870.</ref> Caersws?<ref>Roman Britain Organisation. "Mediomanum?" at Roman Britain Template:Webarchive. 2010.</ref> in Powys)
• Cair Mincip ("Fort Municipium": Template:Nowrap)
• Cair 'Pensa vel Coyt' ("Fort Penselwood":Template:Refn Exeter?<ref name=shusher /> Ilchester?<ref name=nashford />)
• Cair Peris (Portchester?<ref name=shusher /><ref name=nashford /> Builth Wells?<ref name=nashford />)
• Cair Segeint ("Fort Seiont": Caernarfon;<ref name=nashford /> or Template:Abbr Silchester<ref name=shusher />)
• Cair Urnarc (Wroxeter?<ref name=shusher /> Dorchester?<ref name=nashford />)

Wales

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>

• Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, "Merlin's fort").<ref>Template:Cite EB1911</ref>
• Caergeiliog, Anglesey ("Fort of the cockrell")<ref name="JonesRoberts">Template:Cite book</ref>
• Caergwrle, Flintshire ("Fort of the crane-wood")<ref name="PNWales15">Template:Cite book</ref>
• Caerleon, Glamorgan ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, "Fort Legion")
• Caernarfon, Caernarfonsire ("Fort Arfon")
• Caerphilly, Glamorgan ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, "Fort Ffili")
• Caerrhun, Caernarfonshire ("Fort of Rhun")<ref name="Morgan1912" />
• Caersws, Montgomeryshire ("Susan's fort")<ref name="Morgan1912">Template:Cite book</ref>
• Caerwent, Monmouthshire ("Fort Venta")
• Cardiff, Glamorgan ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, "Fort Taf")
• Carew, Pembrokeshire<ref name="pemcoast" />
• Gaerwen, Anglesey (Caerwen, "white fort")<ref name="Morgan1912" />
• Holyhead, Anglesey ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, "Fort Cybi")

England

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.

• Cambridge ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, "Fort Granta")
• Canterbury ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, "Fort Kent")
• Chester ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, "Fort")
• Chichester ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}} )
• Durham ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, "Fort of the Wear")<ref name="BLITON" />
• Gloucester ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}} )
• Exeter ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, "Fort Usk", also Cornish Karesk)
• Lancaster ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}} )
• Leicester ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, "Fort Leir")
• Lichfield ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, "Fort Grey Wood")
• Salisbury ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}} )
• Winchester ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}} )
• Worcester ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}} )

File:Carriden House.jpg

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

Scotland

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 fiction

• Caer Bocram from the video game Tales of Vesperia
• Caer Bronach and Caer Oswin from video game Dragon Age: Inquisition
• Caer Cadarn from the novel series The Warlord Chronicles - set in Cadbury Castle, Somerset, according to the author's note in The Winter King.Template:Citation needed
• Caer Dallben from The Chronicles of Prydain novel series
• Caer Darrow from the video game World of Warcraft
• Caer Dhú from the novel The Sword of Rhiannon
• Caer Llyr and Caer Secaire from the novel The Dark World
• Caer Lyon from the video game Wizard101
• Caer Siorai from the video game Death's Gambit
• Caer Xhan from the video game Breath of Fire III
• Cair Paravel from the Chronicles of Narnia novel series
• Kaer Morhen and Kaer Trolde from The Witcher novel series
• Kaer Norvent from the video game Final Fantasy XVI
• Kêr-Is (Ys), of Breton legend
• Kerrith, town mentioned in the novel Rebecca, set in Cornwall
• The Rabbit of Caerbannog from the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail
• Caer-Konig & Caer Dineval from the D&D Campaign "Rime of the Frost Maiden

See also

• Gaer (disambiguation)
• Welsh toponymy