Arcade

Camino Portugués · Camino Portugués de la Costa

PontevedraGalicia

Here Camino Portugués and Camino Portugués de la Costa converge. It is one of the points where the pilgrim shares the way with those arriving by another route.

Etymology disputed between Latin arcata 'arcade, row of arches' —⁠in reference to the Roman bridge over the river Verdugo⁠— and an obscure pre-Roman origin. The modern form is attested from the 12th century.

The Latin hypothesis arcata 'set of arches' rests on the documented presence of a Roman bridge over the river Verdugo at this point —⁠Atlantic coastal route⁠— and on the regular Galician-Portuguese evolution -ata > -ade (parallel to Pontecaldelas, Cangas). The pre-Roman hypothesis, defended by some onomasts on the root arc- without firm parallels, remains a less economical alternative. Arcade has been known since the 19th century for its oysters —⁠the Verdugo estuary is one of the oldest oyster beds in Galicia⁠—⁠; the Festa da Ostra, in April, draws pilgrims and locals alike.

Evolution of the name

  1. arcata (latín) late Latin 6th — 9th century
  2. Arcate / Arcade medieval Galician-Portuguese from the 12th century

Reflections, to the letter

Entering Arcade, the Way drops to the Ponte Sampaio bridge over the Verdugo: a hundred and forty-four metres of stone carried on ten pointed arches, raised on Roman foundations. Count them as you cross and the name answers itself, for arcata means exactly that, a row of arches. What on the map is a word is, beneath your feet, an arcade still spanning the river two thousand years on.

Languages of origin

Themes

Origin status

probable

Glossary

Etymology
The origin and history of a word and the phonetic and semantic changes it has undergone. An etymology may be confirmed, probable or disputed depending on documentary attestations and linguistic parallels.
Onomatologist
A specialist in onomastics, the linguistic discipline that studies proper names — of persons (anthroponyms), places (toponyms) and institutions.
Pre-Roman
Prior to the Romanisation of the Iberian peninsula (3rd century BC); applied to toponyms, linguistic roots and populations.

Sources

  • Filgueira Valverde, X. — Toponimia gallega
  • Cabeza Quiles, F. — Os nomes da terra

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Camino Portugués

  1. ··· toward Santiago
  2. Esclavitud
  3. Pontecesures
  4. Padrón
  5. Caldas de Reis
  6. San Amaro
  7. Pontevedra
  8. Arcade
  9. Redondela
  10. Saxamonde
  11. O Porriño
  12. Mos
  13. Tui
  14. Valença
  15. ··· toward the start