Pamplona y sus nombres

Abstract

A) LATIN NAMES AND DERIVED FORMS. Apart from the fables (Athanagria, Martua, Sansueña, Bambalona) during the romanization we find Pampelon, Pompeyópolis, Pompaelo documented and the gentile adjective "Pampilonensis", referred to both, diocese and kingdom, until 12th century. The variants depend on the language in which the document is written: Bambaluna (Occitan), Pampalone (Gascon), Pamplona (Navarraise romance), Pamplona (Castelian).

B) POPULAR BASQUE NAME. On roman coins we can read "Olcairum", whose second element explains, according to Tovar the name of Irunia (with many variants) has been documented since 11 th century. The root Irun is found in the navarraise toponymy as the appellative for Pamplona. We find no unanimity among the writers of the 16th and 17th century, more concerned perhaps about possible etymologies. On the imprints of the books published in Pamplona lruñea is the commonest until 1860 and Iruña in our century.