Names of villages, towns and cities in Ayeri-speaking areas typically contain these elements:
Ayeri | English | Example | |
---|---|---|---|
aren(g) ayron | castle, town | Petakreng | Milton |
ayron … ayron | castle, town | Ayron Avirang | Goldcastle |
banta banta | river mouth | Pekambanta | ‘Pekammouth’ |
bay(o) bayo | spring | Rengbay | ‘Rengspring’ |
butān butān | feud, fief | Rayembutān | Upperfeud |
dang tadang | island | Danodang | Green Island |
gan(g) karon | sea, ocean | Basagang | ‘Basasea’ |
gron karon | sea, ocean | Makagron | Whitesea |
(hi)nyan hinyan | corner | Viniminyan | Forest Corner |
(i)bang ibang | field | Yelambang | Stonefield |
(lu)kay lukay | ford | Hirapankay | New Broadford |
k(od)an kodan | lake | Tasankan | Deeplake |
kametan kametida- | confluence | Tapukametan | – |
m(i/ay)kon(g) maykong | harbor | Beramikong | ‘Beram’s Harbor’ |
maling maling | shore | Ijamaling | Silvershore |
ming minkay | village, settlement | Tuvoming | Bluetown |
minkay minkay | village, settlement | Bilaminkay | ‘Bilaming’ |
mitan(g) mitan | residence | Lanyamidang | King’s Residence |
(na)trang natrang | temple | Pasubanatrang | ‘Pasubanchurch’ |
(ne)kan nekan | bridge | Nekandalam | Cowbridge |
nong nongon | river | Mihunong | ‘Narrowriver’ |
p(el)ang pelang | castle | Tanapelang | ‘Tanakcastle’ |
petang petang | mill | Makapetang | Whitemill |
p(r)am(i) prami | meadow | Prihimpami | Flatmeadow |
ren, ren | market | Renhiro | Newmarket |
rang rang | homestead | Tuvrang | Redding |
rim rivan | mountain | Kutungrim | Cloudy Mountain |
rivan rivan | mountain | Lenorivan | Blue Mountain |
s(ir)ay siray | bay | Runusay | Smokebay |
t(u)ray turay | hill | Vinitray-ya-Karon | Foresthill-at-Sea |
umang umang | beach | Tupasumang | Longbeach |
vim vinim | forest | Ternuvim | Holy Forest |
visam visam | here: capital | Kāryovisam | Big Capital |
yang yonang | creek, stream | Nasanyang | Mercy Creek |
(yo)nang yonang | creek, stream | Parayonang | Quick Creek |
Then of course, there are as well modifiers such as tado ‘old’, hiro ‘new’, rayeng ‘upper’ , eyreng ‘lower’, kāryo ‘great’, kivo ‘little’, ling ‘upon’, nasay ‘near’, ya ‘at, in’. These may be fused with the place names in some way, although adjectives are usually put behind the head word. Of course, places can also have names that do not contain one of the parts listed above, like just, say, Pelang ‘Castle’. Names of towns do not need to wear their etymology on their sleeves all the time because the names may often be eroded due to having been used for centuries, sometimes even by different people with different languages.