What's in a Prague street name

Every street in Prague, one by one.

Nature

  • Prague 4, day 189: U háje

    U háje was built in 1925. A ‘háj’ is a a grove; you may also know its diminutive form, ‘hájek’ (but note that, no, Mexican-American actress and producer Salma Hayek doesn’t have secret Czech roots – her father is of Lebanese descent). This area used to be a grove; while there’s still a good deal of Continue reading

    , , , ,

  • Prague 3, day 62: Plavínová

    Originally published on Twitter on 24 June 2022. Plavínová was built in 1998 (making it newest street yet, but only until tomorrow). A plavín štítnatý, or plavín leknínovitý, or Nymphoides peltata, has its fair share of names in English too: fringed water lily, yellow floating heart, floating heart, water fringe or entire marshwort. It’s a perennial that grows in Continue reading

    , , , , ,

  • Prague 3, day 54: V Zeleni

    V Zeleni was built in 1935. It translates as ‘in green’, ‘in green vegetation’ / ‘in greenery’ / ‘in verdure’, etc. As if that name needed any explanation, V Zeleni leads into https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2022/11/19/prague-3-day-29-v-zahradkach/, ‘In the gardens’. Which has https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2022/11/20/prague-3-day-48-pod-lipami/ (under the lindens) at its northernmost point. And ‘flowery’ a little bit further down: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2022/11/20/prague-3-day-52-kvetinkova/. You Continue reading

    , , , ,

  • Prague 3, day 52: Květinková

    Originally published on Twitter on 14 June 2022. Květinková was built in 1947. If something is květinový, it’s floral or flowery. And it certainly does get that way round here. Make it květinkový, and it’s still floral… but the flowers are presumably that little bit cuter. For vocabulary fans, a květinový záhon is a flowerbed, Continue reading

    , , , ,

  • Prague 3, day 50: Habrová

    Originally published on Twitter on 12 June 2022. Habrová was built in 1976. Continuing the tree theme, a habr is a hornbeam (Carpinus), a hardwood tree which is mainly used for ornamental purposes. There are many species of the hornbeam, but the only one that exists in the Czech Republic is the ‘Carpinus betulus’, the Continue reading

    , , , , ,

  • Prague 3, day 49: Buková

    Originally published on Twitter on 11 June 2022. Buková was built in 1962. We’re still on the trees, and a buk is a beech (Fagus). In Central Europe, the beech is the main feature of deciduous forests. In the Czech Republic, the tree has also given its name to a village of 303 people in Continue reading

    , , , , ,

  • Prague 3, day 48: Pod Lipami

    Originally published on 10 June 2022. Pod Lipami was built in 1925. Continuing yesterday’s tree theme (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2022/11/20/prague-3-day-47-osikova/), ‘Pod lipami’ translates as ‘under the linden trees’. Which makes this Prague’s answer to Berlin’s famous ‘Unter den Linden’ (except it doesn’t). If we’re talking about lindens in different languages, the Romanian for ‘linden’ is tei, and ‘love Continue reading

    , , , , ,

  • Prague 3, day 47: Osiková

    Originally published on Twitter on 9 June 2022. Special ‘unintentional advertising for Kaufland’ edition: Osiková, a relative newbie built in 1976. An osika is an aspen tree, or ‘Populus tremula’. It’s a tree from the willow family. Other Czech names for the tree are topol osika (aspen poplar) or osika obecná (common aspen). I’m no Continue reading

    , , , , ,

  • Prague 3, day 42: Pod Vrcholem

    Originally published on Twitter on 4 June 2022. Pod Vrcholem was built in 1925. Under the same peak as yesterday (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2022/11/20/prague-3-day-41-k-vrcholu/). That’s about it. And I promise there’s more gripping stuff to come. Continue reading

    , , , , ,

  • Prague 3, day 38: Na Lučinách

    Originally published on Twitter on 31 May 2022. Na Lučinách was built in 1947. It translates as ‘in the meadows’, or, literally, ‘on the meadows’. If you walk towards the meadows on K Lučínám (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2022/11/19/prague-3-day-3-k-lucinam/), you end up in the meadows in Na Lučinách! Or you end up where the meadows were. I’m as supportive Continue reading

    , , , ,

  • Prague 3, day 37: Nad Lukami

    Originally published on Twitter on 30 May 2022. Nad Lukami was built in 1938, and translates as ‘Above the meadows’. We’ve already been by/at/near the (priestly) meadow: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2022/11/18/prague-3-day-2-u-knezske-louky/. We’ve also headed towards them: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2022/11/19/prague-3-day-3-k-lucinam/. I probably didn’t write these in a logical order. And, whatever this meadow was when it still existed, it seems to Continue reading

    , , , ,

  • Prague 3, day 34: Luční

    Originally published on Twitter on 27 May 2022. Luční was built in 1931. From 1931 to 1990, this was called Luční I. A nearby street was built in the same year, called, yes, Luční II. Clearly wanting to get a bit of that post-Berlin Wall vibe (or because Luční II got fed up with being Continue reading

    , , , , ,

  • Prague 3, day 31: V Jezerách

    Originally published on Twitter on 24 May 2022. V Jezerách was built in 1925. I was going to say that this means ‘In the lakes’ and move on, but that would be v jezerech with a second e and not an á. One lake is a jezero, two lakes are jezera, and a small lake Continue reading

    , , , ,

  • Prague 3, day 12: Pod Krejcárkem

    Originally published on Twitter on 5 May 2022. Pod Krejcárkem was built in 1962, and translates as ‘Under Krejcárek’. Krejcárek was an emergency colony (i.e. a residential area, akin to a shanty town, built to deal with a large influx of workers moving to Prague). It was established as a garden centre in 1922 (when Continue reading

    , , , , , , ,

  • Prague 3, day 4: Na Vrcholu

    Originally published on Twitter on 27 April 2022, when I’d just tested positive for COVID. This may get mentioned a couple of times. ‘Na vrcholu’, built in 1962, means ‘at the top’. You would think this was the top of something quite momentous. But it seems it’s just at the top of Koněvova. This isn’t Continue reading

    , , , ,

  • Prague 3, day 3: K Lučinám

    Originally posted on Twitter on 26 April 2022. K Lučinám was built in 1962. Like ‘luka’, a ‘lučina’ is a meadow, but the word is archaic enough to not even appear on Seznam Slovník. But it does appear in the Czech national anthem: ‘voda hučí po lučinách’ (water streams across the meadows), otherwise knows as Continue reading

    , , , ,

  • Prague 3, day 2: U kněžské louky

    Originally published on Twitter on 25 April 2022. ‘U kněžské louky’ was built in 1931. It roughly translates as ‘at the priestly meadow’, and was named after the original name of the land. If anyone can explain why it’s ‘louky’ with an ‘ou’, when the nearby tram stop (Kněžská luka) only has a ‘u’, you Continue reading

    , , , ,