Need a town name meaning land of horses?

Question

I am writing a story, and I’m not sure what to name a certain town in the story. I’d like it to distantly mean something along the lines of “place of horses”. Thinking of maybe incorporating the Japanese word “uma”, but “Umaville” sounds like a stretch realism-wise. Are there any better root words or suffixes I should use?

leabee · Answer

Equine and Hippo both refer to horses in Greek and Latin I think (hippopotamus is 'river horse' for example). Cheval is French for horse

Umaton
Umafield
Uma Mesa
Umia
Uma
Umatopia (literally place of horses)

or put Equi- or Cheval in front of any of them

or use a breed a horse - call the town Palomino or Mustang or Arabian Hills or something

? · Answer

Start by figuring out WHERE this town would be located and what possible languages might have been spoken by people who would have settled the town.  Then use google translate or other apps to find words in those languages. For example:

Horse:
Spanish -- caballo
Finnish -- hevonen
German -- Pferd
Swedish --  hast
Polish -- kon

Place: 
Spanish -- sitio
Finnish --  paikka
German -- Ort
Swedish -- plats
Polish -- miejsce

Village
Spanish -- pueblo
Finnish -- kyla
German -- dorf
Swedish -- by
Polish -- wioska

Then you see if it makes any sense within the context of your story for some town to be called Pferddorf or not.

bluebellbkk · Answer

So goggle the word 'horse' in other languages (actually there are more words even in English) and play around with them till you find one that works for you. Remember too that 'ville' isn't the only possible ending to indicate a town.

Sir Caustic · Answer

I'd just go with something like "Horsey Town", "Clippety-Clop City" or "Los Horselis". They really suit the "style" you've just exhibited in your question.

william ellis · Answer

Try the native Plain Indian's names for horses.......Google it.....

Need a town name meaning land of horses?

5 Answers