Gigia

Latin la: Etymology Of disputed origin. Numerous competing explanations have been proposed: According to Sánchez, from Latin la sessio station, encampment, as in la sessio legionis station of a legion or la in sessione legionum at the station of the legions, in reference to an early Roman military settlement. Under this interpretation, the la arae Sestianae, also written la arae Sessianae, have been understood as “altars of the military station”. This would require a development from la sessio to a form resembling roa-ole *Xixón, but García Arias rejects it because Latin la -ss- does not account for the voiced sibilant shown by medieval roa-ole Gegione and roa-ole Gigione. According to Miguel de Unamuno, from Latin la saxum rock, crag, referring to the rocky promontory of the Cerro de Santa Catalina es on which the original settlement developed. This would require a development through an Asturian form comparable to ast xeixu stone, rock, followed by further derivation or reshaping to ast Xixón. García Arias rejects the proposal because the medieval forms consistently indicate a voiced sibilant, whereas a descendant of la saxum would be expected to have a voiceless one. According to Bullet, from supposed la cel - elements cel-pro *gy water + cel-pro *om surrounded, interpreted as “surrounded by water”. These, however, lack any Celtic cognates, the closest match being the Welsh river cy Gwy. According to Becerro de Bengoa, from supposed la eu - elements eu *egi + eu *gon, interpreted as “a narrow, sheltered, elevated and favourable site”. From a Latin personal name, with proposed bases including la *Gegiōnus, la *Gegiō, or la *Segius according to Manzanares; la *Sassonius according to Schulze; and la *Iaiōnus or la *Ieiōnius according to García Arias. The place-name would therefore originally have meant “the estate or settlement of [the named person]”. Traditionally identified with ancient la Gigia, mentioned by Ptolemy. García Arias rejects this identification, placing la Gigia near the river Cea River Cea in the modern province of León, rather than at Gijón in Asturias. Sometimes connected with Latin la legiō VII Gemina the Seventh Twin Legion, on the assumption that the settlement was founded or occupied by that legion. This would require an unexplained shortening and fusion of la legiō and la Gemina into a form resembling roa-ole Gigione, and the proposal is poorly substantiated. The medieval forms include roa-ole Gegione, roa-ole Gigione, and roa-ole Gigión, whence Asturian ast Xixón and Spanish es Gijón. Pronunciation Gigia Proper noun Gigia<1.loc> Gijón Declension Gigia<1.loc> References Ramón de Andrés, Diccionario toponímico del concejo de Gijón, Gijón: Ayuntamiento de Gijón, 2008, 978-84-89466-82-1. Xosé Lluis García Arias, Toponimia asturiana: El porqué de los nombres de nuestros pueblos, Oviedo: Editorial Prensa Asturiana, s.v. “Xixón / Gijón”. “¿Gijón viene de Gigia?”, El Comercio, 27 July 2008. la Cities Spain