Caer
/keɪər/noun
A Welsh word meaning a fort, castle, or city, especially in place names.
Did you know?Many famous place names like Cardiff’s older form *Caerdydd* preserve *caer*, showing how ancient Roman and post-Roman fortifications were literally baked into the map.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Celtic
P-Celtic
*kagro-
“fort, enclosure”
Old Welsh
Welsh
caer
“fortified place, fortress”
Middle Welsh
Welsh
caer
“castle, fort, city”
Modern Welsh
Welsh
caer
“fort, castle, city”
Modern English
English
Caer-
“element in Welsh place names meaning fort or city”
Explore more surprising origins