r/Toponymy • u/triple_cock_smoker • Aug 23 '23
What is the name of suffix in romance languages(?) used to create toponyms from personal names like Mariana, Louisiana and Philippines?
The title, many European colony names were derived from monarchs and personal names and -ana(or something like that) seems to be a common suffix, at least in romance languages. Terra Mariana from Latin, Louisiana from French, Philippines from Spanish etc.
When I try to google it just shows me which names those toponyms are derived from (Mary, Louis, Felipe) and doesn't say anything about the suffix. Was it just random? Does it have a name? How would I even do it If I wanted to make up something similar from Fernando or Carlos? Fernandona? Carlosana?
I am aware of the "-ana" suffix as in "related to, shout out to" suffix as in (Mozartiana, Ottomana, Americana) but its wikipedia page doesn't even mention toponyms nor none of the examples I listed. Are they related or something? Cognates? Same suffix that I misunderstood?
2
u/RedThinSouls Aug 23 '23
The suffix itself ultimately derives from Latin suffix -anus/-inus, used to make adjectives out of nouns. Cognate suffixes in other I.E. languages include English past participle ending -en
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/-anus
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/-inus#Latin
2
u/TheRockWarlock Aug 24 '23
I guess a relative suffix.
How would I even do it If I wanted to make up something similar from Fernando or Carlos? Fernandona? Carlosana?
Fernandana and Carolana (but Carolina exists)
5
u/skozik Aug 23 '23 edited Aug 23 '23
There's no special suffix; these are all entirely normal uses of -ana and -ina (or -ane and -ine, which are French and sometimes English forms) to create adjectives. Terra Mariana is then a straightforward noun phrase meaning "Marian land", and the other two are shortened: terre Louisiane → Louisiane (→ English Louisiana), las islas Filipinas → las Filipinas (→ English the Philippines). Places named after people named Fernando and Carlos would then likely be called Fernandina and Carolina or Carolana (and note that Carolina is of course already a real placename).