Estella
Lizarra
NavarraNavarra
From the Latin stella 'star', a medieval hagiotoponym imposed by the charters of King Sancho Ramírez in 1090. The coexisting Basque name Lizarra is the original of the place: lizar 'ash tree' + article, 'the [place of the] ash trees'.
Evolution of the name
- Lizarra Basque (original) before the 11th century
- Stella medieval Latin 11th — 12th century
- Estella Castilian from the 13th century
Reflections, to the letter
When you reach Estella at sundown, look at the village sign: Estella · Lizarra. The Spanish name comes from the Latin stella, “star” — the city was called Lizarra (in Basque, “the ash grove”, from lizar, ash tree) when Sancho Ramírez refounded it with a royal charter in 1090, and the scribes gave it the new Romance name with a Jacobean nod: the star that, according to tradition, guided Theodemir to the apostle's tomb. The Camino itself was called for centuries campus stellae (“field of stars”), the oldest etymology of Compostela; Estella stands among the few towns along the route whose name evokes it directly. 3 km away, the Irache monastery still keeps the fountain of wine that has served pilgrims since the 12th century — one tap gives water, the other red wine.
Glossary
- Descriptive toponym
- A place name describing a function or feature of the site (as opposed to anthroponyms, which commemorate a person). Viana = "place of the road"; Fromista = "of wheat"; Hornillos = "of the ovens".
- 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.
- Fuero
- A medieval legal privilege granted by a king to a town, granting special rights and freedoms; Estella's fuero (1090) attracted Franks and Jews to settle there.
- Hagiotoponym
- A place name derived from the name of a saint (from Gr. ἅγιος, hágios, “holy”).
Sources
- Belasko, M. — Diccionario etimológico de los nombres de los pueblos, villas y ciudades de Navarra (Pamplona: Pamiela, 1999)
- Lacarra, J.M. — Historia política del reino de Navarra (Pamplona: Aranzadi, 1972)
- Caro Baroja, J. — Materiales para una historia de la lengua vasca (Salamanca, 1945)
- Goñi Gaztambide, J. — Historia eclesiástica de Estella (Pamplona: Gobierno de Navarra, 1990)
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Camino Francés