The Landscape of the Past in Contemporary Valencian Urban Placenames

Abstract

This paper analyses placenames of present-day towns (bigger than 20,000 inhabitants) in the Valencian Country. In order to carry out the aforementioned toponymical analysis, the linguistic approach must necessarily be complemented by observation of landscape features, which is crucial when finding or choosing the most plausible origin of a placename, especially if it is an obscure one. Placenames from the past are here examined by using a two-fold perspective: on the one hand, observation of landscape features and, on the other, close attention to the linguistic features of placenames. This multi-methodological analysis produces more reliable results: these unearth that pre-Latin names of Valencian towns derive from natural features of the landscape, whereas Latin placenames and later nomenclatures mainly refer to cultural features of the landscape, thus unveiling the extent to which placenames are to be regarded as one of the most valuable sources for explaining past social concerns.