Place name element etymologies

crossing in a river

thumb|229x229px|

thumb|upright=1.1|Three Shire Heads bridge, where three shires in England ([[Cheshire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire) meet]] Shire () is a traditional term for an administrative division of land in Great Britain and some other English-speaking countries. It is generally synonymous with county (such as Cheshire and Worcestershire). English counties are among the oldest extant national divisions in the world.

generic term for an ancient or medieval fort

holy district; area in Mecca and Medina where non-Muslims are not permitted

generic name referring to torrential rivers, in the west side of the Pyrenees

placename element in Brythonic languages

small house and area rented for agriculture from a larger farm

thumb|right|The north gate of Cardiff Castle, following the old Roman fortifications and rebuilt along Roman lines.

thumb|This is a map of the Bailiwick of [[Guernsey]]

The suffix -tania or -etania (English demonym "-tanian", "-tanians") denotes a territory or region in the Iberian Peninsula. Its historical origin is in the pre-Roman Iberia. Its etymological origin is discussed by linguists. Spanish Jesuit philologist Hervás y Panduro proposed their link to the Celtic languages, in which the root *tan or *taín means department or region. "In Irish, tan (genitive, tain) expresses the idea of country, territory."