dún
Irish: fort

The word dún is closely related to the Welsh dinas and Gaulish dunum.

The word is derived from the proto-Celtic *d³no- "fort, rampart", itself from the Proto-Indo-European root *dhuHno- 'enclosure'. The English word town is also descended from this root.

The original name of Edinburgh--Dunedin--is derived from Dùn Èideann, originally the Brythonic Din Eidyn--fort of Eidyn, mentioned in Aneurin's Y Gododdin. It has subsequently been used as the name of the second largest city in New Zealand.

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Mary Jones © 2005