Querúas
Principado de Asturias
Toponym of disputed origin. The two competing readings are a Latin one —from quercus ('oak, holm oak') with the Asturian derivative suffix -úa, 'small oak grove'— and a pre-Roman one that appeals to a base kar-/ker- of rocky relief documented in other toponyms of the Atlantic quadrant.
Quercus, 'oak, holm oak', generated in Latin vegetal toponymic derivatives with collective suffixes —quercetum (oak grove, already seen)— and diminutives. The Asturian suffix -úa / -uas is of disputed origin: some onomatologists derive it from the Latin -ua / -uam, others from a fossilised pre-Roman suffix. The vegetal reading of Querúas fits the geography: the hamlet sits in an inland valley of the Pendón range, with vegetation of native Asturian oaks. The alternative reading, defended by some western-Asturian onomatologists, connects the toponym with a pre-Roman base kar-/ker- present in other rocky relief names (cf. Cariño, Carballeira, Caraviá). The plural fixes the collective character. The hamlet belongs to the council of Valdés, on the climb toward Luarca, and preserves a characteristic rural architecture with stone houses and Arabic-tile roofs.
Evolution of the name
- quercus / kar- Latin / pre-Roman before the 6th century
- Querúas medieval Asturleonese from the 12th century
Glossary
- Diminutive
- A derived form indicating smaller size or affection, formed with suffixes such as -illo, -ito, -uelo, -ete. Substantivised plural diminutives abound in toponymy: Hornillos, Boadilla, Calzadilla, Comillas, Pradillos.
- 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
- García Arias, X.Ll. — Toponimia asturiana
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Camino del Norte