Bulgarian placename etymology
Encyclopedia
Bulgaria
n placename etymology
is characterized by the linguistic and ethnic diversity of the Balkans
through the ages and the position of the country in the centre of the region. While typical Bulgarian
placenames of Slavic
origin vastly dominate, toponyms which stem from Greek
, Thracian
, Latin
and Turkish
can also be encountered.
Slavic names often appear in pairs, wherever two places were historically related, or happen to have the same name. Examples: Stara Zagora
and Nova Zagora
(old/new), Veliko Tarnovo
and Malko Tarnovo
(great/small), Gorni Bogrov and Dolni Bogrov (upper/lower).
Nov, novi, nova, and novo (meaning "new") are also frequent, as many places were depopulated during Ottoman rule
and later rebuilt. Examples: Novo Selo (9 villages are named thus), Novi Pazar. Nevertheless, the presence of "new" does not guarantee that the settlement has ever been destroyed — it may have been founded by settlers from another village who wished to retain the name, for example.
, Kazanlak
, Pazardzhik
.
, which stem from ancient poleis and towns. Examples: Ahtopol
, Sozopol
, Nikopol
, Nesebar
(a Slavicized version of the Hellenized Thracian name Menebria, later Messembria), Provadiya
.
has also survived until today, many of them being Roman versions of former Greek or Thracian ones. Some Latin names had fallen into disuse long ago, but were revived in the 20th century. Examples: Montana
, Lom (a Slavicized version of Latin Almus), Archar (a Slavicized version of Latin Raciaria), Drastar (nowadays Silistra
), derived from Durostorum, Nikopol
and Nikyup, derived from Nicopolis, Dzherman, derived from Germania, etc. The old Bulgarian name for Sofia
, Sredets, was also derived from Sardica (Serdica).
Some names of Romance
origin date to later times and are ascribed to the Balkan Latin (Vlach
) population, several examples being Vakarel
, Pasarel, Banishor, Gurgulyat
.
, derived from Pulpudeva (itself derived from Philipoppolis), German
and Celtic, such as Vidin
from Dunonia and Bononia.
The placename Varna
of the non-metathesized group CorC bears witness of Old Bulgarian's preliterate period - or perhaps stemming from a more ancient Proto-Indo-European root
.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n placename etymology
Etymology
Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...
is characterized by the linguistic and ethnic diversity of the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
through the ages and the position of the country in the centre of the region. While typical Bulgarian
Bulgarian language
Bulgarian is an Indo-European language, a member of the Slavic linguistic group.Bulgarian, along with the closely related Macedonian language, demonstrates several linguistic characteristics that set it apart from all other Slavic languages such as the elimination of case declension, the...
placenames of Slavic
Slavic languages
The Slavic languages , a group of closely related languages of the Slavic peoples and a subgroup of Indo-European languages, have speakers in most of Eastern Europe, in much of the Balkans, in parts of Central Europe, and in the northern part of Asia.-Branches:Scholars traditionally divide Slavic...
origin vastly dominate, toponyms which stem from Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
, Thracian
Thracian language
The Thracian language was the Indo-European language spoken in ancient times in Southeastern Europe by the Thracians, the northern neighbors of the Ancient Greeks. The Thracian language exhibits satemization: it either belonged to the Satem group of Indo-European languages or it was strongly...
, Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
and Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
can also be encountered.
Slavic placenames
Slavic names account for the vast majority of toponyms on the territory of Bulgaria. Typical forms are:- with the neutral suffix -ово/-ево (-ovo/-evo-ovo/-evo-ovo/-evo is a widespread Slavic suffix indicating a placename. It is the neuter form of the Slavic possessive suffix -ov/-ev which is declined this way after selo , mesto or another neutral noun, usually omitted in the toponym itself. The form -evo is used after palatal or palatalized consonants...
). This suffix is probably the most widespread one in Bulgaria. Examples: Veliko TarnovoVeliko TarnovoVeliko Tarnovo is a city in north central Bulgaria and the administrative centre of Veliko Tarnovo Province. Often referred to as the "City of the Tsars", Veliko Tarnovo is located on the Yantra River and is famous as the historical capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire, attracting many tourists...
, GabrovoGabrovoGabrovo is a city in central northern Bulgaria, the administrative centre of Gabrovo Province. It is situated at the foot of the central Balkan Mountains, in the valley of the Yantra River, and is known as an international capital of humour and satire , as well as noted for its Bulgarian National...
, HaskovoHaskovoHaskovo , is a city, an administrative centre of the homonymous Haskovo Province in southern Bulgaria, not far from the borders with Greece and Turkey. As of February 2011, it has a population of 74,843 inhabitants....
, PamporovoPamporovoPamporovo is a popular ski resort in Smolyan Province, southern Bulgaria, one of the best-known in Southeastern Europe. It is set amongst magnificent pine forests and is primarily visited during the winter for skiing and snowboarding. It is also a popular tourist place in summer. The hub of...
, SevlievoSevlievoSevlievo is a town in north-central Bulgaria, part of Gabrovo Province. Sevlievo is known as one of the wealthiest towns in Bulgaria owing to the well developed local economy, high employment rate and major foreign investments, such as the American Standard Companies factory...
.
- with the masculine suffix -ец (-ets). Examples: PravetsPravetsPravets is a town in central western Bulgaria, located approximately 60 km from the capital Sofia.Pravets has a population of 4,512 people. Mountains surround it, which allows for a mild climate with rare winds. In the outskirts there is a small lake used for fishing and recreation...
, BorovetsBorovetsBorovets , known as Chamkoria until the middle of the 20th century, is a popular Bulgarian mountain resort situated in Sofia Province, on the northern slopes of Rila, at an altitude of 1350 m...
, KladenetsKladenetsKladenets is a village in Haskovo Province, southern Bulgaria, with a population of 104 ....
, LyubimetsLyubimetsLyubimets is a small town in Haskovo Province, southern-central Bulgaria. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Lyubimets Municipality. As of December 2009, the town has a population of 7,670 inhabitants....
. - with the feminine suffix -ица (-itsa). Examples: Gorna OryahovitsaGorna OryahovitsaGorna Oryahovitsa is a town in northern Bulgaria, situated in Veliko Tarnovo Province, not far from the city of Veliko Tarnovo. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Gorna Oryahovitsa Municipality...
, Dupnitsa, BelitsaBelitsaBelitsa is a town in southwestern Bulgaria, located in the Belitsa Municipality of the Blagoevgrad oblast .-External links:* *...
, KoprivshtitsaKoprivshtitsaKoprivshtitsa is a historic town in Sofia Province, central Bulgaria, lying on the Topolnitsa River among the Sredna Gora mountains. It was one of the centres of the April Uprising in 1876 and is known for its authentic Bulgarian architecture and for its folk music festivals, making it a very...
, SlivnitsaSlivnitsaSlivnitsa is a town in western Bulgaria, 22 km away from Sofia, lying on the main road connecting the capital with the Bulgarian-Serbian border...
, PerushtitsaPerushtitsaPerushtitsa or Perushtitza is a Bulgarian town located in the Plovdiv Oblast at the foot of the Rhodopes. It is located about 22 kilometers south of Plovdiv....
, BerkovitsaBerkovitsaBerkovitsa is a town and ski resort in northwestern Bulgaria. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Berkovitsa Municipality, Montana Province and is close to the town of Varshets...
, KosharitsaKosharitsaKosharitsa is a village and seaside resort in South-East Bulgaria, situated in Obshtina Nessebar, in the Burgas region....
. - with the suffixes -инци (-intsi), -овци (-ovtsi), and -ци (-tsi), which indicate the name, occupation or some other characteristic feature of the family or families that founded the settlement. Examples: ChiprovtsiChiprovtsiChiprovtsi is a small town and municipality in northwestern Bulgaria, administratively part of Montana Province. It lies on the shores of the river Ogosta in the western Balkan Mountains, very close to the Bulgarian-Serbian border...
, BoychinovtsiBoychinovtsiBoychinovtsi is a town in northwestern Bulgaria, the administrative centre of Boychinovtsi Municipality , Montana Province . It is near the city of Montana. As of December 2009, the town has a population of 1,648 inhabitants....
, ApriltsiApriltsiApriltsi is a small town in Lovech Province, Central-North Bulgaria, located in the vicinity of the highest part of Stara Planina mountain. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Apriltsi Municipality...
, PriseltsiPriseltsiPriseltsi is a village in South- East Bulgaria, situated in Obshtina Nessebar, in the Burgas region.Priseltsi is 10 minutes drive from Obzor, a seaside town with much development in progress. It is known for its clean fresh air. There are quite a few new, high quality houses that have been...
, BrusartsiBrusartsiBrusartsi is a town in Northwestern Bulgaria. It is located in Montana Province and is 23 km away from the town of Lom. The town is the administrative center of the homonymous Brusartsi Municipality. As of December 2009, Brusartsi has a population of 1,302 inhabitants.Main train lines...
, BatanovtsiBatanovtsiBatanovtsi is a town in western Bulgaria. It is located in Pernik Province and is close to the towns of Radomir and Pernik. The town's name was first attested in a 1564 Bulgarian text: ВИШЄ СЄЛА БАТЄНОВЦИ БЛИЗЬ РЄЦЄ СТРОУМЄ, and several other sources from the 1560s. It is derived from the personal...
. - with the suffix -град (-grad), which is used for mediaeval fortified settlements and modern cities. -grad is a very common suffix in southern Bulgaria due to the widespread renaming of towns that carried Turkish or Greek names. Many towns now have names that follow the established pattern, but are dedicated to Bulgarian rulers, national heroes or prominent people, such as BotevgradBotevgradBotevgrad ; pre-1866: Samundzhievo ), is a town in western Bulgaria. It is located in Sofia Province and is close to Pravets. Botevgrad is situated at a 47-km-distance from Sofia.-Geography:...
(formerly Orhanie), AsenovgradAsenovgradAsenovgrad is a town in central southern Bulgaria, part of Plovdiv Province.-History:Asenovgrad was founded by the Thracians as Stenímachos around 300–400 BC. In 72 BC the city was captured by the troops of the Roman Empire as part of the Roman expansion towards the Black Sea. After a long period...
(formerly Stanimaka) and BlagoevgradBlagoevgradBlagoevgrad is а city in southwestern Bulgaria, the administrative centre of Blagoevgrad Province, with a population of about 74,302 . It lies on the banks of the Blagoevgradska Bistritsa River....
(formerly Gorna Dzhumaya). Other examples: ZlatogradZlatogradZlatograd is a town in Smolyan Province, Southern-central Bulgaria. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Zlatograd Municipality. As of December 2009, the town has a population of 7,110 inhabitants....
, SvilengradSvilengradSvilengrad is a town in Haskovo Province, South-central Bulgaria, situated at the border of Turkey and Greece. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Svilengrad Municipality. As of December 2009, the town has a population of 18,132 inhabitants....
, RazgradRazgradRazgrad is a city in northeastern Bulgaria, administrative and industrial centre of the homonymous Razgrad Province. As of February 2011, it has a population of 33,238 inhabitants.-History:...
.
- with the masculine suffixes -ник (-nik) and -чик (-chik). Examples: PernikPernikPernik is a city in western Bulgaria with a population of 81,052 . It is the main city of Pernik Province and lies on both banks of the Struma River in the Pernik Valley between the Viskyar, Vitosha and Golo Bardo mountains.Originally the site of a Thracian fortress founded in the 4th century BC,...
, BalchikBalchikBalchik is a Black Sea coastal town and seaside resort in the Southern Dobruja area of northeastern Bulgaria. It is located in Dobrich Oblast and is 42 km northeast of Varna...
, BelogradchikBelogradchikBelogradchik is a town in Vidin Province, Northwestern Bulgaria, the administrative centre of the homonymous Belogradchik Municipality. The town, whose name literally means "small white town," is situated in the foothills of the Balkan Mountains just east of the Serbian border and about 50 km...
, MelnikMelnik-Places:Bulgaria* Melnik, Bulgaria, a town in Bulgaria* Shiroka Melnishka Losa, a Bulgarian wine grape also known as MelnikCzech Republic* Mělník, a townUnited States* Melnik, Wisconsin, an unincorporated community...
, BreznikBreznikBreznik is a town in western Bulgaria, 50 km away from Sofia. It is located in Pernik Province and is close to the towns of Bankya and Pernik. It has 4,500 inhabitants. Villages in the municipality include Dushintsi....
. - with the neutral suffix -ино (-ino). Examples: ArdinoArdinoArdino is a town in Southern Bulgaria, in the Rhodope Mountains. It is located in Kurdzhali oblast and is close to the town of Madan.It is famous for its textile industry. It has a machine-building factory and a tobacco manufacturing industry. Tourist attractions include the Eagle rocks and the...
, NedelinoNedelinoNedelino is a town and municipality in the Rhodope Mountains of the Smolyan Province, southern Bulgaria. The former name of Nedelino was "Uzundere" which meaning "Long Creek"......
, NevestinoNevestinoNevestino may refer to several villages in Bulgaria:* Nevestino, Burgas Province* Nevestino, Kardzhali Province* Nevestino, Kyustendil Province - the administrative centre of Nevestino municipality...
. - with the masculine suffix -ен (-en). Examples: PlevenPlevenPleven is the seventh most populous city in Bulgaria. Located in the northern part of the country, it is the administrative centre of Pleven Province, as well as of the subordinate Pleven municipality...
, SlivenSlivenSliven is the eighth-largest city in Bulgaria and the administrative and industrial centre of Sliven Province and municipality. It is a relatively large town with 89,848 inhabitants, as of February 2011....
, KuklenKuklenKuklen is a town in southern Bulgaria, part of Plovdiv Province. It is located 14 km to the south of the nearest major town, Plovdiv, and is approximately 100 km south west of the Bulgarian capital, Sofia...
, TetevenTetevenTeteven is a town on the banks of the Vit river, at the foot of Stara Planina mountain in north central Bulgaria. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Teteven Municipality which is a part of Lovech Province. As of December 2009, the town has a population of 10,613 inhabitants.The town...
, KitenKitenKiten may refer to:* Kiten, Burgas Province, a resort town on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast* Kiten, Varna Province, a village in Varna Province, Bulgaria* Kiten , a Japanese Kanji learning tool...
.
- with the neutral suffix -ище (-ishte). Examples: TargovishteTargovishteTargovishte is a city in Bulgaria, capital of Targovishte Province. It is situated at the northern foot of the low mountain of Preslav on both banks of the Vrana River. The town is 335 km away to the north-east from the capital Sofia and about 125 km to the west from the city of Varna...
, BozhurishteBozhurishteBozhurishte is a town in western Bulgaria. It is the administrative center of Bozhurishte Municipality in Sofia Province; close to Kostinbrod and the capital Sofia. The old airport of Sofia, now a military one, is near the town. Bozhurishte was first mentioned in 1750...
, PanagyurishtePanagyurishtePanagyurishte is a town in Pazardzhik Province, Southern Bulgaria, situated in a small valley in the Sredna Gora mountains. It is 91 km east of Sofia, 43 km north of Pazardzhik, and 37 km south of Zlatitsa. The town is the administrative centre of the homonymous Panagyurishte...
. - with other or without suffixes. Examples: TranTran, BulgariaTran |thorn]]") is a small town in Pernik Province, western Bulgaria. It is 27 kilometres away from the town of Breznik and 15 km from the border with Serbia....
, BeleneBeleneBelene is a town in Pleven Province, Northern Bulgaria. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Belene Municipality. The town is situated on the right bank of the Danube river, close to the town of Svishtov...
, DobrichDobrichDobrich is a town in northeastern Bulgaria, the administrative centre of Dobrich Province. With 91,030 inhabitants, as of February 2011, Dobrich is the ninth most populated town in Bulgaria, being the centre of the historical region of Southern Dobruja...
, RudozemRudozemRudozem is a town in southern Bulgaria, near the Greek border, located in the Rhodope Mountains, where the Elhovo and Chepino rivers flow into the Arda, and is part of Smolyan Province. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Rudozem Municipality...
, SopotSopot, BulgariaSopot is a Bulgarian town situated in the fertile sub-Balkan mountain valley of Karlovo , immediately below the steep southern slopes of the Troyan Balkan Mountain...
, BeloslavBeloslavBeloslav is a small industrial town in Varna Province, Northeastern Bulgaria, located 19 km away to the west from Varna downtown and Bulgarian Black Sea coast. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Beloslav Municipality. As of December 2009, the town has a population of 7,937...
, SvishtovSvishtovSvishtov is a town in northern Bulgaria, located in Veliko Tarnovo Province on the right bank of the Danube river opposite the Romanian town of Zimnicea. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Svishtov Municipality...
, RazlogRazlogRazlog is a town and ski resort in Razlog Municipality, Blagoevgrad Province in southwestern Bulgaria. It is situated in the Razlog Valley and was first mentioned during the reign of Byzantine emperor Basil II....
, TroyanTroyanTroyan is a town in Lovech Province in central Bulgaria with population of 21,997 inhabitants, as of December 2009,. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Troyan Municipality. The town is about 160 km away from the country capital Sofia. The nearest civilian airport is Gorna...
, VidinVidinVidin is a port town on the southern bank of the Danube in northwestern Bulgaria. It is close to the borders with Serbia and Romania, and is also the administrative centre of Vidin Province, as well as of the Metropolitan of Vidin...
, Byala SlatinaByala SlatinaByala Slatina is a town in Northwestern Bulgaria. It is located in Vratsa Province. As of December 2009, the town has a population of 12,433 inhabitants.-External links:*...
, BankyaBankyaBankya is an upscale town and district in western Bulgaria. It is administratively part of greater Sofia.The district is famous for the mineral springs and baths that have been used for their medicinal properties for hundreds of years. Prime Minister of Bulgaria Boyko Borisov is a native...
.
Slavic names often appear in pairs, wherever two places were historically related, or happen to have the same name. Examples: Stara Zagora
Stara Zagora
Stara Zagora is the sixth largest city in Bulgaria, and a nationally important economic center. Located in Southern Bulgaria, it is the administrative capital of the homonymous Stara Zagora Province...
and Nova Zagora
Nova Zagora
Nova Zagora is a town located in the southeastern plains of Bulgaria in Sliven Province. It is the administrative centre of Nova Zagora Municipality. As of December 2009, the town has a population of 23,625 inhabitants , while the entire municipality has a population of 45,111. The first traces...
(old/new), Veliko Tarnovo
Veliko Tarnovo
Veliko Tarnovo is a city in north central Bulgaria and the administrative centre of Veliko Tarnovo Province. Often referred to as the "City of the Tsars", Veliko Tarnovo is located on the Yantra River and is famous as the historical capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire, attracting many tourists...
and Malko Tarnovo
Malko Tarnovo
Malko Tarnovo is a town in Burgas Province, Southeastern Bulgaria, located 5 km away from the Turkish border. It is the only town in the interior of the Bulgarian Strandzha Mountains. Malko Tarnovo is the administrative centre of the homonymous Malko Tarnovo Municipality...
(great/small), Gorni Bogrov and Dolni Bogrov (upper/lower).
Nov, novi, nova, and novo (meaning "new") are also frequent, as many places were depopulated during Ottoman rule
History of early Ottoman Bulgaria
The history of Ottoman Bulgaria spans nearly 500 years, from the conquest of the Second Bulgarian Empire by the Ottoman Empire in 1396, to its liberation in 1878. Bulgarian territories were administrated as the Rumelia Eyalet. The Ottoman rule was a period marked by oppression and misgovernment and...
and later rebuilt. Examples: Novo Selo (9 villages are named thus), Novi Pazar. Nevertheless, the presence of "new" does not guarantee that the settlement has ever been destroyed — it may have been founded by settlers from another village who wished to retain the name, for example.
Turkish placenames
Turkish placenames were widespread in southern and northeastern Bulgaria. However, most of them were changed in the 20th century. Examples: KardzhaliKardzhali
Kardzhali or Kurdzhali is a town in Bulgaria, capital of Kardzhali Province in the Eastern Rhodopes. Near the town is the noted Kardzhali Dam.-Geography:...
, Kazanlak
Kazanlak
Kazanlak, formerly Kazanlık is a Bulgarian town in Stara Zagora Province, located in the middle of the plain of the same name, at the foot of the Balkan mountain range, at the eastern end of the Rose Valley...
, Pazardzhik
Pazardzhik
Pazardzhik is a city situated along the banks of the Maritsa river, Southern Bulgaria. It is the capital of Pazardzhik Province and centre for the homonymous Pazardzhik Municipality...
.
Greek placenames
There is a certain number of Greek names, mostly in southern Bulgaria along the Bulgarian Black Sea CoastBulgarian Black Sea Coast
The Bulgarian Black Sea Coast covers the entire eastern bound of Bulgaria stretching from the Romanian Black Sea resorts in the north to European Turkey in the south, along 378 km of coastline. White and golden sandy beaches occupy approximately 130 km of the 378 km long coast...
, which stem from ancient poleis and towns. Examples: Ahtopol
Ahtopol
Ahtopol is a town and seaside resort on the southern Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. It is located on a headland in the southeastern part of Burgas Province and is close to the border with European Turkey...
, Sozopol
Sozopol
Sozopol is an ancient seaside town located 35 km south of Burgas on the southern Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. Today it is one of the major seaside resorts in the country, known for the Apollonia art and film festival that is named after one of the town's ancient names.The busiest times of the year...
, Nikopol
Nikopol, Bulgaria
Nikopol is a town in northern Bulgaria, the administrative center of Nikopol municipality, part of Pleven Province, on the right bank of the Danube river, 4 km downstream from the mouth of the Osam river. It spreads at the foot of steep chalk cliffs along the Danube and up a narrow valley...
, Nesebar
Nesebar
Nesebar is an ancient town and one of the major seaside resorts on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast, located in Burgas Province. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Nesebar Municipality...
(a Slavicized version of the Hellenized Thracian name Menebria, later Messembria), Provadiya
Provadiya
Provadia is a town in northeastern Bulgaria, part of Varna Province, located in a deep karst gorge along the Provadia River not far from the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Provadiya Municipality. As of December 2009, the town has a population of...
.
Latin placenames
An amount of names from Roman timesAncient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
has also survived until today, many of them being Roman versions of former Greek or Thracian ones. Some Latin names had fallen into disuse long ago, but were revived in the 20th century. Examples: Montana
Montana, Bulgaria
- Elite High Scools :*Foreign Language HS "Petar Bogdan". Emphasis on English and German language proficiency. Recognized and praised for its scholars' academic accomplishments worldwide. http://gpchemont.com/sitegpche/...
, Lom (a Slavicized version of Latin Almus), Archar (a Slavicized version of Latin Raciaria), Drastar (nowadays Silistra
Silistra
Silistra is a port city of northeastern Bulgaria, lying on the southern bank of the lower Danube at the country's border with Romania. Silistra is the administrative centre of Silistra Province and one of the important cities of the historical region of Southern Dobrudzha...
), derived from Durostorum, Nikopol
Nikopol, Bulgaria
Nikopol is a town in northern Bulgaria, the administrative center of Nikopol municipality, part of Pleven Province, on the right bank of the Danube river, 4 km downstream from the mouth of the Osam river. It spreads at the foot of steep chalk cliffs along the Danube and up a narrow valley...
and Nikyup, derived from Nicopolis, Dzherman, derived from Germania, etc. The old Bulgarian name for Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
, Sredets, was also derived from Sardica (Serdica).
Some names of Romance
Romance languages
The Romance languages are a branch of the Indo-European language family, more precisely of the Italic languages subfamily, comprising all the languages that descend from Vulgar Latin, the language of ancient Rome...
origin date to later times and are ascribed to the Balkan Latin (Vlach
Vlachs
Vlach is a blanket term covering several modern Latin peoples descending from the Latinised population in Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe. English variations on the name include: Walla, Wlachs, Wallachs, Vlahs, Olahs or Ulahs...
) population, several examples being Vakarel
Vakarel
Vakarel is a village, away from Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria.Population: 1984 people. It is situated in the Ihtiman part of Sredna Gora mountains. The village is important transport knot for the railway Sofia - Plovdiv. Near Vakarel is the Trakiya motorway. Vakarel is 822 meters above sea...
, Pasarel, Banishor, Gurgulyat
Gurgulyat
Gurgulyat is a village in Slivnitsa municipality, Sofia Province, located in western Bulgaria approximately 10 km south of the town of Slivnitsa. the village has a population of 40...
.
Other placenames
There are a number of ancient placenames from other languages, including Thracian or Dacian, such as PlovdivPlovdiv
Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia with a population of 338,153 inhabitants according to Census 2011. Plovdiv's history spans some 6,000 years, with traces of a Neolithic settlement dating to roughly 4000 BC; it is one of the oldest cities in Europe...
, derived from Pulpudeva (itself derived from Philipoppolis), German
German, Bulgaria
German is a village in central western Bulgaria, part of the Capital Municipality of Sofia City Province, and is regarded as a suburban neighbourhood of Sofia. It lies at the foot of the Lozen Mountains, at , 639 metres above sea level...
and Celtic, such as Vidin
Vidin
Vidin is a port town on the southern bank of the Danube in northwestern Bulgaria. It is close to the borders with Serbia and Romania, and is also the administrative centre of Vidin Province, as well as of the Metropolitan of Vidin...
from Dunonia and Bononia.
The placename Varna
Varna
Varna is the largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and third-largest in Bulgaria after Sofia and Plovdiv, with a population of 334,870 inhabitants according to Census 2011...
of the non-metathesized group CorC bears witness of Old Bulgarian's preliterate period - or perhaps stemming from a more ancient Proto-Indo-European root
Proto-Indo-European root
The roots of the reconstructed Proto-Indo-European language are basic parts of words that carry a lexical meaning, so-called morphemes. PIE roots always have verbal meaning like "to eat" or "to run", as opposed to nouns , adjectives , or other parts of speech. Roots never occur alone in the language...
.
See also
- Etymological list of provinces of BulgariaEtymological list of provinces of BulgariaThis is a list of the origins of the names of provinces of Bulgaria....
- Bulgarian toponyms in Antarctica