Abstract

Abstract The North-West-Bohemian town Kaaden (Czech Kadaň) lies in an area where Celts settled some two millennia ago. For this reason a Celtic etymology was proposed for this placename, although a Slavic etymology based on the Common Slavic personal name *Kadanъ (attested in Old Czech, Polish, Sorabian) had existed for decades: Kadaň (taken over later on into German as Ka(a)den) was derived from the personal name *Kadanъ with the possessive suffix Common Slavic *-jь and meant originally ‘Kadan’s (castle/town)’. It will be shown that the Celtic etymology which argues for a Proto-Celtic *katu-dūno- ‘town/castle of the fight/battle’ invokes too many ad-hoc-developments and scarcely (if at all) attested soundchanges to be regarded at all plausible. The ‘classical’ Slavic etymology, on the other hand, can be shown to be flawless in all aspects.

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