Behind the Name: Message: "Re: Eiffel"

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Subject:	Re: Eiffel
Author:	Andy (guest, 217.229.215.206)
Date:	October 18, 2004 at 10:40:08 PM
Reply to:	Re: Eiffel by Getb

The etymology of "Eifel" is uncertain. The most probable meaning is: "plateau of oaks". Eifella would then be an assimilated form of *Aik-fil. EIH is Old High German for "oak" (Germanic AIK), and FILLE (from Indoeuropean "pela", wide and flat) was the name of the fairly flat mountain ridge west of Cologne.

The original form of Beonickhausen seems to be Boennighausen. This probably used to be a place-name in Germany. All I could find is Boenhusen and Boehnighausen. They probably go back to the word "Bohne" (bean). "-hausen" indeed means "house".

(Most of this is taken from: Geographische Namen in Deutschland, Duden, 1999)

Andy ;—)

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Messages in this thread:

Eiffel - Gianfranco E. Tubino Bryce Oct 16 2004, 12:27:52 AM
- Re: Eiffel - Sagani Oct 16 2004, 6:30:55 AM
  - Re: Eiffel - Sean Foglai Oct 16 2004, 7:45:49 PM
    - Re: Eiffel - Getb Oct 18 2004, 8:55:08 PM
      - Re: Eiffel - Andy Oct 18 2004, 10:40:08 PM
        
        Re: Eiffel - Gianfranco Elio Tubino Bryce Oct 20 2004, 9:17:18 PM

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