Meaning of Swiss place names

Language Corner
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Further interesting Romandie place names include Concise and Grandson.

62
Looks like they went to the Talli-Klettersteig instead.

63
Is Bubikon anywhere near the Titisee?

64
Why lost? "Maid" is a German word as well ("eine holde Maid"). Mädchen ~ Maidchen = kleine Maid

65
I've heard magd, but not maid.

66
well.... I guess that shows that you're not a native German speaker.... google for it.

67
I meant: a diminutive that got a different meaning than the original. However this isn't true either because Magd became Maid. Maid and Magd however have virtually disappeared from today's German vocabulary while Mädchen is very common.

A perfect example of a diminutive replacing the original is Kaninchen (rabbit) from Kanin.

68
In the Suisse Romande you get place names ending in -az, -oz, -ex. It’s got nothing to do with modern French but it’s a throw back to the franco provençal language which used to be spoken here and in parts of France and Italy. If the “x” or “z” is silent, odds are the place name is a legacy of franco provençal origin - Athenaz, Bernex, Saconnex, Vetroz, Bex, Paudex, Chateau d’Oex.

69
The -matt suffix comes from Die Matte - the meadow.

Off-topic: The name Emma comes from an old German word meaning "Everything" or "Universal". Now only found in the German expression: Der Tante-Emma-Landen - Aunt Emma's Shop - which is a corner shop (mom-and-pop store) that sells everything.

70
Nope! Bubikon is in the Zürcher Oberland, just North of Rapperswil.

71
Ups , Zuerihegel ,I think you have to have a closer look at this Or talk Marie Zug

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Yo, or a little place called Biere , VD.

There is a tea room here called Le Magot and a boat down at the lake that somebody called Le Fagot. It never stops making me grin

74
Why...? Bubikon is definitely in Zürcher Oberland (47.26818°N 8.81797°E)

75
Zuerihegel I tride to send you a PM but I have to write Z ue rich ,it dosn`t work .So here it is Tits is eng. for "frauebruescht" >> buebikon >titi see < chunsch jetzt naaa

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Aha!!! Ja, jetzt isch dä Zwänzger abegheit. I simply didn't see the word play with Bubikon, tits and See. Nice one! Wonder what the ladies say that follow this thread...

77
I've heard "Wallis" as in canton Wallis/Valais is derived from the old teutonic word Walh or Waelisc which meant non-German speaking foreigners like celts and speakers of latin languages. Although the romans did call the area Vallis latin for Valley. Anybody know for sure?

Wales and Corn wall in the UK, Wallonia (the French speaking part of Belgium) and Wallachia in Romania have the same derivation. So does Walnut (foreign nut) and the surnames Walsh and Wallace (someone foreign).

78
Your second explanation seems to be the right one. As the German Wiktionary says, "Wallis" derives from the Roman "vallis" for "valley". The Romans used to call it Vallis Poenina.

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This website suggests that the name not only originates in the Latin Vallis, but also is a christian reference to Mount Vesuv. I'm not sure how common this view is among historians.

cannut, when you click the username above a post, a menu pops up and allows you to also send private messages to users with umlauts

80
Driving through the sticks in Graubunden today I saw a beautiful old house proudly calling itself Casa Crap