The Etymologies of Isidore of Seville - Pot-pourri

306 XV.ii.7–ii.25 Isidore of Seville
be named towns (oppidum) because they offer protection
(ops). A town (oppidum)moreoverdiffers in its size
and its walls from a hamlet (vicus) orafortress(castellum)ora‘countryvillage’(pagus).
7.Further,cities (civitas)arecalled‘colonial
towns’ (colonia), or ‘free towns’
(municipium), or hamlets, fortresses, or country villages.
8.Acityproperly so called is one that has been founded
not by newcomers but by those native to its soil. Therefore
communities (urbs) foundedbytheirowncitizens
(civis)arenamedcities(civitas), not colonies. 9.Onthe
other hand, a colony (colonia) iswhatisfilledbynew
inhabitants (cultor) whenthereare no indigenous people.
Hence also a ‘colony’ is so called from the tilling
(cultus, ppl. of colere) ofafield.10. Afreetown is one
that, while remaining in the status of a city, obtains from
the sovereign some legal right to a greater or lesser obligation.
It is called ‘free town’ (municipium) from‘official
functions’ (munia), that is ‘obligations,’ because they
yield only these functions, that is, as the owed tributes
or services (munus). The most notorious court cases
and those involving a person’s freedom, as well as those
which proceed from the sovereign, are not conducted
there; these belong to the jurisdiction of the city (civitas).
11. Hamlets and fortresses and country villages are
communities that are distinguished by none of the dignity
of a city, but are inhabited by a common gathering
of people, and because of their small size are tributary to
the larger cities. 12. Ahamlet (vicus) issocalledasconsisting
only of its dwellings (cf. vicus,“rowofhouses”), or
because it only has streets (via), and no walls. It is without
the protection of walls – although the dwelling-places in
acity(urbs) are also called neighborhoods (vicus). It is
called a hamlet because it is ‘instead of’ (vice) acity,or
because it has streets (via) only,withno walls. 13. The
ancients called a town sited on a very highplaceafort
(castrum), as if it were a high ‘cottage’ (casa). The plural
of this is ‘camp’ (castra), and its diminutive is ‘fortress’
(castellum), [or because within it the freedom of the
inhabitants would be ‘cut off’ (castrare) lest the populace
wandering here and there should expose the fort to
the enemy.] 14. ‘Countryvillages’ (pagus) areplacesfitted
out with buildings for those dwelling among fields.
These are also called marketplaces (conciliabulum), from
the gathering and association of many people in one
place. 15.Crossroads (compitum)areplaces where gatherings
of country people are customarily made, and they
are called crossroads because many regions in the country
meet (competere) there, and there country people
assemble.
16. Thesuburbs (suburbanum) are the buildings that
surround a city, as if the term were ‘below the city’ (sub
urbe). 17. Ramparts (moenia) arethewallsofacity,so
called because they protect (munire) the city, as if they
were the bulwarks (munimentum)ofthecity,thatis,the
guardians. 18. They are also called a defense (munium),
as if “made by hand” (manu factum); and thus also the
word ‘duty’ (munus). A ‘city wall’ (murus,pluralmuri)is
so called from ‘defending’ (munitio), as if the term were
‘to be defended’ (muniri, passive infinitive of munire),
because it defends and guards the inner parts of the city.
Furthermore, ramparts (moenia) have adouble meaning,
for sometimes all the public buildings of a city are
loosely called by this word, as (Vergil, Aen. 2.234):
We split the walls and expose the buildings (moenia) of
the city.
But properly moenia are walls only.
19.Acity wall is furnished with towers and bulwarks.
Towers (turris) are so called because they are rounded
(teres) and tall – for something tall and circular, like a
column, is ‘rounded.’ Even though they may be constructed
as squared off and wide, they still look round to
those observing from far off, because everything appears
round whose angular shape disappears and is lost across
alongstretchofair.20. Bulwarks (propugnaculum) are
the pinnacles (penna) ofcity walls, so called because
from them the city is ‘fought for’ (propugnare). 21. A
‘fore-wall’ (promurale), because it is for (pro)protection
of the city wall (murus), for it is a wall in front of the city
wall.
22. Agate(porta) isthe name of the place where
something can be carried in (importare) orcarried out
(exportare). The word ‘gate’ isproperlyusedeitherofa
city or of a military camp, as was mentioned above. A
‘row of houses’ (vicus), as was said above, comprises the
dwelling-places of a city; hence neighborhoods (vicinus)
are so called. Lanes (via) arethe narrow spaces that lie
between rows of houses. 23. Boulevards (platea) arethe
uninterrupted and spacious streets of a city, named for
their breadth according to the proper sense of the Greek
tongue, for in Greek means “broad.” 24.A‘sidestreet’
(quintana) isone fifth (quintus) ofaboulevard,
through which a cart can pass. 25. Sewers(cloaca) are