Salt Routes

A few will be aware I have been known to speak on various subjects over the years. Fundamentally these all revolve around my favourite subject of etymology. Have always enjoyed bringing this fascinating subject to others. It’s not for me to say whether the audiences have, although many have asked me to return.

Thought it might be worthwhile sharing a snippet or two from these etymological presentations, continuing with Salt Routes. As the original trade route, I look at why it existed and why these routes are still used today. While our distant ancestors were largely self-sufficient, for most one vital commodity meant having to trade. Bringing salt to the user produced a network of trails which can still be followed. Yet this is not just a travel history, salt has found its way into our culture, our language, our folklore and the talk brings all these factors to the fore. There is a PowerPoint presentation to accompany this talk if required.

Salt has long been the most valuable of necessary commodities – gold, saffron, diamonds might all be more valuable, but you can live without them, unlike salt – and retained its value until the spice trade brought other items to the table. Ironically, salt was knocked off the top by pepper.

Place names which reflect salt production include Hallein and Hallstat.

Words which have come to reflect a ‘salty’ origin include ‘soldier’ and ‘salary’; and we still speak of someone being ‘worth his salt’ or ‘sitting below the salt’.

If you think you know someone who would like to hear me speak on this subject, drop me a line.

Madagascar Place Names Explained

Having blogged samples of my books on English place names and also examined the etymologies of the nations of the world and their respective capitals I thought it time I cast my net a little wider. As English place names share some links to other tongues it would be interesting to see if any of the elements contributing to our place names could be found elsewhere. Continuing an alphabetical tour of the world and a look at the largest Madagascan settlements.

Antananarivo, the capital, was founded in the early 17th century when Merina King Andrianjaka defeated and expelled the Vazimba people of what was then known as Analamanga. Tradition has it that he depolyed a thousand soldiers to capture and then guard the place. Then, some fifty years later, it was during the reign of King Andriamasinavalona the place took its present name which refers to 'the city of a thousand' to honour those soldiers.

Toamasina means 'like salt' or perhaps 'salty'. Situated on the coast and protected by a coral reef, this produces increased salinity through evaporation and hence the name.

Antsirabe is a Malagasy name and, as with the previous name, means 'the plae of much salt'. However here the reference is to the brine springs in the area as Antsirabe is about as far from the coast as it is possible to get.

Fianarantsoa is a cultural and intellectual centre for the entire island nation and fully merits its meaning of 'good education'.

Note the spellings of the places are English as the piece is written in English.