Toletum

Latin

Etymology

Uncertain; it was described by the Romans as a Celtic city,^[1]^[2] but no corresponding tribe names are known. Possibly Proto-Celtic *tol- (“hill”),^[3]^[4] which could be related to *tullom, *tullos (“hole”) << Proto-Indo-European *(s)tew- (“to push, hit”);^[5]^[6] compare the French city Toulon and Welsh twll (“hole”), but widespread support for the evolution of "hole" to "hill" is lacking.

Some sources cite a Semitic origin (Hebrew טלטול (“wandering”), טילטל (“to wander”)),^[7]^[8] but this has been dismissed as folk etymology as there is no evidence for a Semitic presence in the region.

Also compare Tolentinum, a town in Picenum.^[9]

Pronunciation

(Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /toˈleː.tum/, [t̪ɔˈɫ̪eːt̪ʊ̃ˑ]
(modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /toˈle.tum/, [t̪oˈlɛːt̪um]

Proper noun

Tolētum n sg (genitive Tolētī); second declension

Toledo (a Hispanian town, now a city in modern Spain)

Declension

Second-declension noun (neuter), with locative, singular only.

	singular
nominative	Tolētum
genitive	Tolētī
dative	Tolētō
accusative	Tolētum
ablative	Tolētō
vocative	Tolētum
locative	Tolētī

Descendants

Navarro-Aragonese: Toledo
- Aragonese: Toledo
Old Catalan: Toledo
- Catalan: Toledo
Old Galician-Portuguese: Toledo
- Fala: Toledu
- Galician: Toledo
- Portuguese: Toledo
Old Spanish: Toledo
- Ladino: Toledo
- Spanish: Toledo
  - → English: Toledo
  - → Italian: Toledo

References

“Toletum”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
Toletum in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.

^ María Cruz Fernández Castro (1995). La Prehistoria de la Península Ibérica. Crítica.
^ John S. Richardson (1996). The Romans in Spain. Blackwell
^ Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “Toledo”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
^ Everett-Heath, J. (2000): Place Names of the World - Europe: Historical Context, Meanings and Changes, p. 311
^ Spenser's Linguistics in "The Present State of Ireland", p. 482-483
^ Matasović, Ranko (2009) Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, pages 393-394,
^ Abrabanel's Commentary on the First Prophets (Pirush Al Nevi'im Rishonim), end of II Kings, p. 680, Jerusalem 1955 (Hebrew)
^ The Volume Library: A Concise, Graded Repository of Practical and Cultural Knowledge Designed for Both Instruction and Reference: Toledo
^ "Picenum," Antonio Sciarretta's Toponymy

[1] María Cruz Fernández Castro (1995). La Prehistoria de la Península Ibérica. Crítica.

[2] John S. Richardson (1996). The Romans in Spain. Blackwell

[3] Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “Toledo”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

[4] Everett-Heath, J. (2000): Place Names of the World - Europe: Historical Context, Meanings and Changes, p. 311

[5] Spenser's Linguistics in "The Present State of Ireland", p. 482-483

[6] Matasović, Ranko (2009) Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, pages 393-394,

[7] Abrabanel's Commentary on the First Prophets (Pirush Al Nevi'im Rishonim), end of II Kings, p. 680, Jerusalem 1955 (Hebrew)

[8] The Volume Library: A Concise, Graded Repository of Practical and Cultural Knowledge Designed for Both Instruction and Reference: Toledo

[9] "Picenum," Antonio Sciarretta's Toponymy

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