Country France Department Pyrénées-Orientales Intercommunality Agly Fenouillèdes Area 14 km² | Region Occitanie Canton Latour-de-France Population (2013) 148 Arrondissement Perpignan | |
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Caramany is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.
Contents
Map of Caramany, France
Geography
Caramany is located in the canton of Latour-de-France and in the arrondissement of Perpignan.
Toponymy
The name of Caramany first appears in 1212 as Karamay. It is then seen in 1242 as Karamanho, in 1261 as Caramain, in 1304 as Caramayn and finally in 1395 as Caramany. On the 18th century Cassini map, the name is written in French as Caramaing. Both Caramany and Caramaing are used throughout the 19th century.
The Occitan name is Caramanh in the modern day spelling of Languedocien dialect. But although the town is part of Fenouillèdes, an Occitan speaking-zone, today's name has kept the Catalan spelling, in use since medieval times.
The name Caramany is a compound of ker, pre-indoeuropean for stone, and magnus, latin for big, meaning as a whole big stone. This type of name was often applied to a place with an important castle on a mountain, or an impressive mountain itself.