Disputatio:Villa de Ax

Aix generally = Aquae. Here we have Ax not Aix, but given the -les-thermes, I strongly suspect the etymon is still Aquae. --Iustinus 17:34, 7 Februarii 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I'm sure you're right; at least, it is sermo vulgaris aquas, which leads directly to occitanice acs, which is the current Occitan name of the place. The -les-Thermes was added quite recently (according to the French Wikipaedia), by an evidently tautologous mayor.

I was being scrupulous (and also bearing in mind that there are other places called Aquae ... in the same département). Although Romans were at Ax, so far as I am aware the Roman name for the place is not known. I don't feel certain that the name Aquae in Latin was ever used for it. But I don't have the Latin text of Iacobus Fournier's Registrum Inquisitionis, which would give us the real medieval Latin name. Does anyone? Andrew Dalby (disputatio) 20:43, 7 Februarii 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Oh right, one of the defining isoglosses to set French and Occitan appart is that *a > /e/ thing, which explains Aix vs. Ax. In any case, I would recommend using Aquae (the fact that there are a zillion cities by that name is not really a concern, any more than the zillion Caesareae, Alexandreae and Luguduna). Ax-les-Thermes could, I suppose, be Aquae Thermarum, or even Aquae Thermae, but since it's speculative, I would say not to add those to the article title without parentheses. And of coruse, no, sorry, I don't have that source you recommend. --Iustinus 00:25, 8 Februarii 2007 (UTC)[reply]