canal

From Old Galician-Portuguese canal (13th century, Cantigas de Santa Maria): cana (“cane, reed”) + -al. Cognate with Spanish cañal.

V casares en Cesar os quaes fforon de Mayor Aras moller de Martin Sanchez Xarpa com huum paaço et con huum canal enno Tamare.

1375, A. López Ferreiro, editor, Galicia Histórica. Colección diplomática, Santiago: Tipografía Galaica, page 385:

5 farmhouses in Cesar, which belonged to Maior Aras, wife of Martín Sánchez Xarpa, with a manor and a fishery on the river Tambre

(dated) fish-weir; place or installation for fishing, on a river


canal

Learned borrowing from Latin canalis. Doublet of canle and cal.


rego

From the interaction of diverse sources: Latin rigāre (“to water”), a pre-Roman substrate of Iberia *reku ("river"), and Proto-Celtic *ɸrikā (“furrow”). Compare Old Breton rec (“furrow”).

furrow (a trench cut in the soil, as when plowed in order to plant a crop)


lago

From Old Galician-Portuguese lago, from Latin lacus (“lake”), from Proto-Italic *lakus, from Proto-Indo-European *lókus (“lake, pool”).


mar

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese mar, from Latin mare. Compare Portuguese mar.


Deva

A hydronym, attested in Medieval Latin as Deva. From a pre-Roman substrate of Iberia, from Proto-Celtic *deiwā (“goddess”), from Proto-Celtic *deiwos (“god”), from Proto-Indo-European *deywós (“god”). Cognate of English Dee.

A river in Ourense, Galicia, flowing some 20 km to the river Minho at Arbo

A river in Pontevedra, Galicia, flowing some 20 km to the river Minho at Pontedeva


ría

Attested since 1432. From río (“river”).

o dito seu lugar e vila da Proba ena ria dela

1448, A. López Ferreiro, editor, Fueros municipales de Santiago y de su tierra, Madrid: Ediciones Castilla, page 560:

said place and town of A Pobra [do Caramiñal] in its bay

Et logo comesçou a rreparrar o castello do Est por gardar a terra dos ysmaelitas et normanos, que entrauã porla rria e estragauã toda a terra.

1460, Rui Vasques, Crónica de Santa María de Iria, Santiago: Ediciós do Castro, page 135:

And then he began to repair the castle of Oeste, for protecting the country from the Ismaelites and the Norsemen, who used to enter through the bay, then wasting all the land

(geography) Geographical coastal landform where a river valley is partially subducted under the sea level; similar to a firth, although usually translated into English cartography as bay


Ulla

Attested as Ulla in Classical Latin (Pomponius Mela) and as Ulia during the Middle Ages. From a substrate language, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *u̥lHyeh₂, from the zero-grade of Proto-Indo-European *welH- (“to turn, wind”).

der

A village in Maceda parish, Palas de Rei, Lugo, Galicia

A village in Berres parish, A Estrada, Pontevedra, Galicia


océano Atlántico

Atlantic Ocean (the ocean lying between the Americas to the west and Europe and Africa to the east)

oceans: océano: océano Antártico · océano Ártico · océano Atlántico · océano Índico · océano Pacífico [edit]


regato

Rego (“stream”) + -ato, a diminituve suffix.

Adios rios, adios fontes,
Adios regatos pequenos,
Adios vista dos meus ollos
Non sei cando nos veremos.

1861, Rosalia de Castro, Cantares Gallegos:

Farewell, rivers; farewell, fountains;
Farewell, little brooks;
Farewell, sight of my eyes
I don't know when we'll meet again


estreito

From Old Galician-Portuguese estreito (13th century, Cantigas de Santa Maria), from Latin strictus. Compare Portuguese estreito, Spanish estrecho and French étroit. Doublet of estrito, which was a borrowing.


lagoa

13th century. From Old Galician-Portuguese lagõa, from Latin lacūna (“pit”), from Latin lacus (“lake”).


Níxer

Niger (a country in West Africa, situated to the north of Nigeria)

Niger (a major river in West Africa, that flows into the Gulf of Guinea in Nigeria)


Eo

Attested as Euue during the Middle Ages. As most Galician river names, from a substrate language. Doublet of Ove, a riverside parish.

A river in Galicia, Spain. Its estuary marks part of the border between Galicia and Asturias


océano Ártico

Arctic Ocean (an ocean in the northern polar regions)


océano Antártico

Antarctic Ocean, Southern Ocean (an ocean in the southern polar regions)


Mera

Unknown. From a substrate language. Compare also Spanish Miera and Italian Mera.
It is registered also as the ancient name of a number of other rivers and rivulets throughout Galicia.

A river in Ortigueira, A Coruña, Galicia


Miño

Attested as Miino in the 13th century, from a pre-Roman substrate of Iberia.


Sar

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese Sar, from Medieval Latin Saris, from Sars, from a pre-Roman substrate of Iberia; a root noun from the Proto-Indo-European *ser- (“to flow”).


Tambre

A hydronym, from an older Tamar, attested in Medieval Latin as Tamare and Tamara, attested in Classical Latin as Tamaris, and in Ancient Greek as Ταμάρα (Tamára). From a substrate language, probably from Celtic, from Proto-Indo-European *tm̥Hrós, from *temH- (“dark”); or alternatively from Proto-Celtic *tamo- (compare Welsh tawdd (“melts”)) or Proto-Celtic *tā-, *tāyo- (“to melt, flow”), from Proto-Indo-European *teh₂- (“to melt”), or from Proto-Indo-European *tm̥h₁-ró-, from the zero-grade of Proto-Indo-European *temh₁- (“to cut”). See also English Thames, Tamar and German Zembs.

A river in Galicia, Spain. It flows some 125 km to the Atlantic Ocean near Noia


Támega

A hydronym, attested in Medieval Latin as Tamice. An *-ikos suffixed form, from a pre-Roman substrate of Iberia, probably from Proto-Celtic, from Proto-Indo-European *temH- (“dark”); or alternatively from Proto-Celtic *tā-, *tāyo- (“to melt, flow”), from Proto-Indo-European *teh₂- (“to melt”). See also Thames.
Cognate with Portuguese Tâmega.

an international river flowing 145 km from the Serra de San Mamede mountain range in Galicia, to the Douro river in Entre-os-Rios, Portugal


Támoga

A hydronym, attested in Medieval Latin as Tamega. An *-ikos suffixed form, from a pre-Roman substrate of Iberia, probably from Proto-Celtic, from Proto-Indo-European *temH- (“dark”); or alternatively from Proto-Celtic *tā-, *tāyo- (“to melt, flow”), from Proto-Indo-European *teh₂- (“to melt”). See also Thames.

a river flowing 25 km to the Minho river in Cospeito, Galicia


Tamuxe

A hydronym, attested in the 15th century as Tamuja. A suffixed form from a pre-Roman substrate of Iberia, probably from Proto-Celtic, from Proto-Indo-European *temH- (“dark”); or alternatively from Proto-Celtic *tā-, *tāyo- (“to melt, flow”), from Proto-Indo-European *teh₂- (“to melt”). See also Thames.

a river flowing 15 km to the Minho river in O Rosal, Galicia


regueiro

From Old Galician-Portuguese regueiro (13th century, Cantigas de Santa Maria), from rego + -eiro. Compare Spanish reguero.


Navia

Attested as Navia in Classical Latin (Pliny). From a Celtic or pre-Celtic substrate language, ultimately a derivation of Proto-Indo-European *néh₂us (“boat”), *(s)neh₂- (“to swim”), perhaps meaning "navigable" (cf. Proto-Indo-Iranian *naHwiyás).
Cognate, among others, with the rivers Nahe ( < Nava) in Germany and Noe ( < Navio) in England.

A river in Spain. It flows for some 160 km from Galicia to the Bay of Biscay in Asturias. In Roman times it marked the boundary in between Gallaeci and Astures


Camba

From a local Celtic substrate language: from Proto-Celtic *kambos (“twisted, crooked”), from Proto-Indo-European *kh₂em- (“to curve”). Compare German Chamb, a river in Germany and Czechia.

der

A river in Ourense, Galicia, which flows for some 56 km before draining into the Bibei, a subaffluent of the Minho river


Dubra

A hydronym, attested in medieval local Latin documents as Dubria, from a pre-Roman substrate of Iberia, from Proto-Celtic *dubros (“dark, water”).


Arteixo

Attested as Artasio in 942; from a pre-Roman substrate of Iberia, perhaps from Celtic.


Nantón

From Proto-Celtic *nanto- (“stream, valley”); attested since the ninth century, as toponym and as hydronym.


Almofrei

From Late Latin Ermefredi, genitive of the personal name Ermefredus, from a Suevic or Gothic personal name, from Proto-Germanic *Ermunafriþuz, from Proto-Germanic *ermunaz (“strong; whole”) and *friþuz (“peace”).

A river in Pontevedra, Galicia; formerly river Bora


Asma

From a substrate language, from a hydronym *Apsma, from Proto-Celtic *apsa (“brook”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep- (“water”).

Santa Cristina de Asma
Santa Cristina de Asma#English

Santa Cristina de Asma (a parish of Carballedo, Lugo, Galicia)

San Fiz de Asma (a parish of Chantada, Lugo, Galicia)

San Salvador de Asma
San Salvador de Asma#English

San Salvador de Asma (a parish of Chantada, Lugo, Galicia)

San Xurxo de Asma
San Xurxo de Asma#English

San Xurxo de Asma (a parish of Chantada, Lugo, Galicia)

Santa Uxía de Asma
Santa Uxía de Asma#English

Santa Uxía de Asma (a parish of Chantada, Lugo, Galicia)

Nogueira de Asma
Nogueira de Asma#English

Nogueira de Asma (a village in Cicillón parish, Taboada, Lugo, Galicia)


Barbanza

From a substrate language, from a Celtic hydronym *Barvantia, "boiling", from Proto-Indo-European *bʰr̥u̯n̥ti̯ah₂, from *bʰerw- (“to boil”). Compare Galician fervenza (“cascade, waterfall”), which could be a Romance calque of a pre-Latin noun.

A river in A Coruña, Galicia
A comarca in A Coruña, Galicia

A Pobra do Caramiñal
A Pobra do Caramiñal#English

Ponte Barbanza (a village in Posmarcos parish, A Pobra do Caramiñal, A Coruña, Galicia)


Avia

From a substrate language, from a hydronym *Awya, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ewh₁- (“run”). Compare Welsh awel (“wind”), from Proto-Celtic *awelā, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ewh₁eleh₂.

A river in Ourense, Galicia. A tributary to the Minho


Berbia

From a substrate language, probably from Proto-Celtic *berwyā (compare Welsh berw (“to boil”)), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerwyeh₂, from *bʰerw- (“to boil”). Berbia is also the name of other rivulets in Galicia.

Santo Adrián de Castro
Santo Adrián de Castro#English

A village in Santo Adrián de Castro parish, Zas, A Coruña, Galicia


Chamoso

A river in Lugo, Galicia. A tributary to the Minho

an ancient county comprising most of its basin

San Bartolomeu de Chamoso
San Bartolomeu de Chamoso#English

San Bartolomeu de Chamoso (a parish of O Corgo, Lugo, Galicia)

Santo André de Chamoso
Santo André de Chamoso#English

Santo André de Chamoso (a parish of O Corgo, Lugo, Galicia)

A village in Paradela parish, O Corgo, Lugo, Galicia