Barcelona: what's in a street name?
Many of the street names in Barcelona's historic quarter date from the Middle Ages and reflect the street's dominant land use or trade of the time. This English translation helps in an investigation of land use changes within the city, and how the past can be a key to the present.
A
Abad (Abbott)
Abadesa (Abbess)
Abogado (lawyer)
Abaix (slope)
Abaixadors (slopes/reduce thickness)
Abat (Abbott)
Abella (bee hive)
Acacia (acacia tree)
Academia (University)
Acero (plough-share)
Actor (actor)
Actriz (actress)
Afores (suburbs)
Afueras (knife grinders)
Agla (acorn)
Agra (grass)
Agre/a (bitter/sour)
Agregacion (Assistant Professor)
Agricola (farming)
Aguas (water)
Agudell (peak/summit)
Aguila (eagle)
Aguller (needle case)
Aigua (water)
Aigues (water)
Aixada (hoe)
Albareda (saddle maker)
Alcade (Mayor)
Allada (garlic sauce)
Almas (oil)
Almirante (Admiral)
Almogavare (soldier)
Alta/o (high)
Aluminio (aluminium)
Aizina (oak tree)
Amapola (poppy)
Amarant (tree)
Amargos (bitter/grief).
Amargura (bitter/grief)
Ametilers (almonds)
Ample (wide)
Andana (strip of land, two fields)
Angulo (angled)
Antic (ancient)
Antiguo (ancient)
Arc/Arco (archway)
Arenys (sandy)
Aritjol (bindweed)
Armada (fleet)
Armas (weapons)
Arte (art)
Artesania (craftsmen)
Ase (donkey)
Aspa (cross)
Assaonadors (leather
Astillero (shipyard)
Atalaya (watchtower)
Aurora (dawn)
Avet (fir tree)
Avinyo (Avignon)
Azalea (tree)
Azucena (white lily)
B
Baga (shady)
Baix (descent/slope)
Baixada (slope)
Baja (drop)
Bajada (slope)
Balandre (yacht)
Ballester (crossbow man)
Balmes (hollow out)
Balneari (spa)
Baluard (bastion)
Banca (bench)
Banys (baths)
Barco (boat)
Bargallo (palm tree)
Baro (baron)
Barra (metal)
Barranc (ravine)
Barn (area/quarter)
Barrio (poor area)
Basilica (large church)
Bassol (small pool)
Baterias (earth bank)
Beates (religious person)
Bedoll (birch tree)
Begonia (tree)
Bell/a (beautiful)
Bisbe (Bishop)
Blada (sycamore tree)
Blanquenia (tannery)
Bobila (brick kiln)
Boca (open-mouthed)
Boquer (goat meat)
Boria (plot of ground)
Borjas (huts)
Born (tilting ground)
Borras (sack cloth)
Bosc/a (woodland)
Bosque (small wood)
Bot (wineskin)
Botella (wineskin maker)
Boter (cooper)
Botxi (executioner)
Bou (ox)
Broca (knife sharpener)
Bruc (heather heath)
Bruixot (wizard)
Budellera (tripe dealer)
Bunyola (bakery)
C
Ca (house/home)
Caballero (horseman/gentleman)
Cabanes (hamlet/huts)
Cabrera (goatherd)
Cacador (hunter)
Caceres (hunting)
Cadena (chain)
Cadernera (goldfinch)
Caire (viewpoint)
Caixa (bank/box)
Calabria (diver)
Call (narrow alley)
Cama (animal foot)
Cami (road/track)
Camp (countryside)
Canalates (groove/fluting)
Candeles (candles)
Canet (bottle/jug)
Cano (chimney)
Canonge (canon)
Canvis (exchange money)
Canya (reeds)
Canyelles (cinnamon)
Capella (priest)
Caputxes (hood-maker)
Caputxins (monks)
Carders (teasel sellers)
Carrer/a (street)
Carretes (carts)
Carril (railway)
Castell (castle)
Cavaliers (gentlemen/horsemen)
Cebada (onion field)
Cendra (ash/cinder)
Cep (vine)
Cera (wax)
Ceramica (pottery)
Cimal (summit/peak)
Cinturo (belt)
Cirera (cherry)
Cisell (chisel)
Ciutat (town/city)
Civada (oats)
Cbs (isolated)
Clot/a (hole/pit)
Codols (pebbles/stones)
Col (cabbage/neck/throat)
Colom (pigeon)
Comalada (mountain pass)
Comerc (commerce/trade)
Comte (count)
Conca (basin/bowl)
Concili (council)
Conflent (confluence)
Congost (canyon/narrow pass)
Conradi (arable land)
Conreria (guest quarters)
Conseli (council)
Corder (rope maker)
Corral (farmyard)
Corretger (saddle maker)
Correu (courier/postman)
Corts (royal court/pig sty)
Costa (coast)
Cotoners (cotton industry)
Coure (copper)
Cucurulla (pointed hood)
D
Dagueria (cutler’s shop)
Dalt (overhead/above)
Davallada (slope)
Davant (in front)
Degollada (execution)
Diana (centre)
Diluvi (flood)
Diposit (sediment)
Drassana (shipyard)
Drecera (short cut)
Duana (customs)
Duran (nectarine tree)
E
Egipciaques (Egyptian)
Eivissa (Ibiza)
Eixample (extension/widening)
Enclusa (anvil)
Encuny (die-stamp)
Ermita (hermitage)
Escala (climb)
Escar (shipyard)
Escudellers (potters)
Escuder (shield maker)
Escull (reef/rock)
Escullera (breakwater)
Esgiesia (church)
Esparreguera (asparagus)
Esparteria (wicker works)
Espasa (sword)
Espaseria (swordsmith)
Espigo (breakwater)
Espolsa (dusty)
F
Fabrica (factory)
Faig (beech tree)
Far/o (lighthouse/beacon)
Farga (forge)
Feixa (terrace)
Fenal (hayfield)
Ferrer (blacksmith)
Ferro (iron)
Figuera (fig tree)
Filatures (mills)
Flassaders (blanket makers)
Fluvia (stream)
Folc (herd)
Fondal (hollow)
Foneria (forge)
Fonoll (fennel)
Fonolbar (full of fennel)
Font (fountain/spring)
Fontanella (small fountain)
Formatgeria (cheese factory)
Forn (bakery)
Fossar (graveyard)
Franca (free/open)
Freneria (rope maker)
Funicular (cable railway)
Fusteria (carpenter’s shop)
G
Gardunya (grunt/snort)
Garriga (thicket)
Garrofer (carob tree)
Garrotxa (scrub)
Gas (fumes)
Gatell (water-willow)
Gleva (cultivated land)
Gomera (gum tree)
Granja (farmhouse)
Grau (step)
Gruny (grunt/growl)
Guingueta (canteen)
H
Hort (kitchen garden)
Horta (irrigated vegetables)
I
Iglesia (church)
Illas (island) J
Jardi (garden)
Joncar (marsh)
Jonqueria (marsh)
L
Laberint (maze)
Litoral (coast)
Llacuna (lagoon/pool)
Lladre (thief)
Liagut (merchant ship)
Llana (wool)
Lianca (spear)
Liebre (hare)
Liedoner (nettle tree)
Llibreteria (library)
Llicorella (slate)
Llimona (lemon tree)
Llinar (flax field)
Llits (beds)
M
Maduixer (strawberry fields)
Magdalenes (cake shops)
Maremagnum (noisy/pandemonium)
Magatzem (warehouse)
Manigua (swamp)
Maquinista (engine driver)
Mar (sea)
Marbre (marble)
Maresme (salt marsh)
Mas (farm)
Mata (scrub)
Mecanica (power-operated)
Mercader (trader/merchant)
Mercat (market)
Mestranca (arsenal/armoury)
Metallurgia (metal works)
Metgers (doctors)
Mina (mine)
Mineria (mining)
Minerva (printing
Mirallers (mirror
Misser (lawyer)
Moles (millstone makers)
Moli (mill)
Moliner (olive press)
Moll (wharf)
Moneders (coin minters)
Monestir (monastary)
Monges (nuns)
Monjos (monks)
Mossen (priest)
Munt (hill/mountain)
Muntades (slope)
Muntaner (game warden)
Mur (wall)
Mura (beam)
N
Nau (ship)
Negre (black)
Niquel (nickel)
Nord (north)
Notariat (lawyer)
Nou (new/nine)
Nuevo (new)
O
Obradors (workshops)
Oh (oil)
Ohiva (olive tree)
Ohivera (wild olive
Ohles (potters)
Ordi (barley field)
P
Pages (country)
Palau (palace)
Palla (straw)
Panissar (millet field)
Panses (grapes)
Panta (marsh/swamp)
Parc (park)
Pascateria (fishmonger)
Pati (courtyard)
Pau (peaceful/quiet)
Pedra (stone)
Pedrera (quarry)
Pedreres (stonecutters)
Pellaires (animal skinners)
Penyal (large rock)
Penalara (rocky place)
Pes (weight)
Pescadors (fishermen)
Peu (animal foot)
P1 (pine tree)
Pico (pestle)
Pietat (religious)
Pinetell (mushroom)
Pintor (painter)
Piquer (soldier, pikeman)
Placa (public square)
Planelia (small plain)
Plata (silver)
Piati (platinum)
Platja (beach)
Plom (lead)
Pobla (village)
Poble/et (village)
Polvori (gunpowder)
Pont (bridge)
Porta (door/gate)
Portadores (carriers)
Portell (small opening) Pou (well)
Prada (meadow)
Prat (meadow/field)
Prim (thin)
Pueblo (place)
Puig (mountain)
Pujadas (easily climbed)
Pujol (small hill)
Q
Quimica (chemistry)
Quintana (field)
R
Rajoler (tile-maker)
Rambla (intermittent
Raval (suburb)
Real (royal)
Rec (irrigation canal)
Reial (royal)
Rei (king)
Reina (queen)
Rellogte (clock)
Ribera (riverbank)
Riera (torrent)
Riu (river/stream)
Roca (rock)
Ronda (ring-road)
Rull (locks)
S
Sabaterat (shoe maker)
Sacs (sacks)
Salinas (salt works)
Salient (waterfall)
Saize (willow)
Sec/o (dry)
Selva (forest)
Sequia (irrigation ditch)
Serra (saw)
Setge (seige)
Seu (fat/tallow)
Sitjar (charcoal)
Sombrerers (hat makers)
Sot/a (hollow/depression)
T
Talaia (watchtower)
Tallers (workshops)
Tamborets (stools)
Tarros (pots/jars)
Taulet (plank floor)
Textil (Textile)
Timo (ship’s rudder)
Tiradors (sharp shooters)
Tona (barrel)
Tonnell (barrel)
Torn (windlass/winch)
Torre (tower)
Tossal (small hill/ridge)
Torrent (rushing stream)
Tragi (haulage/transport)
Traginers (carriers)
Travessera (cross-street)
Tres (three)
Turo (hill)
V
Vail (valley)
Vapor (steam/fumes)
Varadero (launching)
Vedruna (stone field marker)
Veguer (magistrate)
Veil (old)
Ventosa (windy)
Vernis (polish)
Via (road)
Vidre (glass)
Vidrieria (glassworks)
Vila (village)
Vista (view)