Caer: Difference between revisions

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Added fictional Caers from the video game Dark Age of Camelot. Can find sources, but unsure what's acceptable for a video game (much less a 24 year old one)
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== In fiction ==
== In fiction ==
* Caer Benowyc, Caer Berkstead, Caer Boldiam, Caer Caddug, Caer Diogel, Caer Erasleigh, Caer Gothwaite, Caer Hurbury, Caer Renaris, Caer Sidi, Caer Sursbrooke, Caer Ulfwych, and Caer Witrin from the video game ''[[Dark Age of Camelot]]''
* Caer Bocram from the video game ''[[Tales of Vesperia]]''
* Caer Bocram from the video game ''[[Tales of Vesperia]]''
* Caer Bronach and Caer Oswin from video game ''[[Dragon Age: Inquisition]]''
* Caer Bronach and Caer Oswin from video game ''[[Dragon Age: Inquisition]]''

Revision as of 23:29, 4 June 2025

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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 (Script error: No such module "IPA".; Template:Langx or Script error: No such module "Lang".) is a placename element in Welsh meaning "stronghold", "fortress", or "citadel",[1] roughly equivalent to an Old English suffix (-ceaster) now variously written as -caster, -cester, and -chester.[2]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").[3] 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 Script error: No such module "Lang". from its position on the Seiont; the later Edwardian castle and its community were distinguished as Script error: No such module "Lang". ("fort in Arfon", the latter being a district name (Cantref Arfon) from "ar Fôn", "(land) opposite Môn or Anglesey").[2] However, the modern names of the Roman fort and Edwardian castle themselves are now Script error: No such module "Lang". or Script error: No such module "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").[4][5]

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".[6]Template:Refn Controversy exists over whether this list includes only Roman cities or a mixture of Roman cities and non-Roman settlements.[7] Some of the place names that have been proposed include:

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

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[2]

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

England

The Cumbric language was spoken in Northern England until the Medieval era in which the element caer ("fort") was used in naming places.[19] It also appears in Cornish place-names as Ker-.[19]

  • Caermote, Cumberland (Caermollt, "Fort of the wether")[19]
  • Cardew, Cumberland (Caerdu, "Black fort")[19]
  • Cardunneth, Cumberland (Caerdunawd, "Dünǭd's fort")[19]
  • Cardurnock, Cumberland (Caerdwrnog, "Fort of the fist-sized stones")[19]
  • Cargo, Cumberland (Caergoll, "Fort of hazel")[19]
  • Carhullan, Westmorland ("Fort of Holland")[19]
  • Carrick, Northumberland (Caerwig, "vicus fort")[19]
  • Carlatton, Cumberland ("Fort of the leek enclosure")[19]
  • Carlisle, Cumberland (Script error: No such module "Lang"., "Fort Luguwalos")[19]
  • Carmolt, Cumberland (Caermollt, "Fort of the wether")[19]
  • Carrycoats, Northumberland (Script error: No such module "Lang"., "Fort of the wood")[19]
  • Carvoran, Northumberland (Script error: No such module "Lang"., "Fort of the Morini")[19]
  • Kerrier, Cornwall[20]

Caer is also found in Welsh exonyms for English cities.

  • Cambridge (Script error: No such module "Lang"., "Fort Granta")
  • Canterbury (Script error: No such module "Lang"., "Fort Kent")
  • Chester (Script error: No such module "Lang"., "Fort")
  • Chichester (Script error: No such module "Lang". )
  • Durham (Script error: No such module "Lang"., "Fort of the Wear")[19]
  • Gloucester (Script error: No such module "Lang". )
  • Exeter (Script error: No such module "Lang"., "Fort Usk", also Cornish Karesk)
  • Lancaster (Script error: No such module "Lang". )
  • Leicester (Script error: No such module "Lang"., "Fort Leir")
  • Lichfield (Script error: No such module "Lang"., "Fort Grey Wood")
  • Salisbury (Script error: No such module "Lang". )
  • Winchester (Script error: No such module "Lang". )
  • Worcester (Script error: No such module "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.[19][21]

In fiction

See also

References

Template:Reflist

Template:Fortifications

  1. ↑ Carlisle, Nicholas. Topographical Dictionary of the Dominion of Wales, "Glossary", p. xxx. W. Bulmer & Co. (London), 1811.
  2. ↑ a b c Allen, Grant. "Casters and Chesters" in The Cornhill Magazine, Vol. XLV, pp. 419 ff. Smith, Elder, & Co. (London), 1882.
  3. ↑ Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru, vol. 1, p. 384.
  4. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  5. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ "JTK". "Civitas" in Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia, Vol. I, p. 451. ABC-CLIO (Sta. Barbara), 2006.
  7. ↑ Breeze, Andrew. "Historia Brittonum" and Britain's Twenty-Eight Cities at Journal of Literary Onomastics. 2016.
  8. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named nashford
  9. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named shusher
  10. ↑ Veprauskas, Michael. "The Problem of Caer Guorthigirn" at Vortigern Studies. 1998.
  11. ↑ 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.
  12. ↑ Roman Britain Organisation. "Mediomanum?" at Roman Britain Template:Webarchive. 2010.
  13. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ a b c d e Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  15. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  16. ↑ Template:Cite EB1911
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  19. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  20. ↑ A. D. Mills, A Dictionary of British Place Names (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011), s.v.
  21. ↑ a b c d e Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  22. ↑ a b c Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  23. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  24. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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