Trees
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Prague 4, day 241: Bezová
Bezová was built in 1935. ‘Bez’ translates as ‘Sambucus’, a genus of about 20-30 flowering plants which are commonly referred to as ‘elder’. In Czechia, there are three native species: the black elderberry (Sambucus nigra / bez černý), the Sambucus ebulus / bez chebdí) and the red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa / bez červený). And, obviously, Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 214: Mezivrší
Mezivrší was first given a name in 1911. Until 1947 (other than during the Nazi occupation), it was called Kateřinská, supposedly an old name for the immediate surrounding area. One has to assume there was a church or other institution named after St Catherine. For a still-existing street called Kateřinská to the north of here, Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 201: U dubu
U dubu was built in 1925. A ‘dub’ is an oak tree. Once upon a time, Slavs venerated oak trees which were dedicated to Perun, who was the god of the sky, thunder, lightning, storms, rain, law, war and, yes, oak trees (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2023/12/23/prague-3-day-183-perunova/). But oaks aren’t just important to the Slavs – the oak is Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 247: Řásnovka
Originally published on X on 5 June 2024. Jan Řásný z Řásnova was, in the 17th century, the hetman of Strahov Monastery (which is on the other side of the river, but got covered on https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/09/08/prague-1-day-30-strahovske-nadvori-strahov-courtyard/). I’ll admit to not being entirely sure what a ‘hetman’ is when we’re dealing with a monastery – back in the Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 170: Jalovcová
Originally published on X on 13 March 2024. A ‘jalovec’ is a juniper. Junipers are quite popular in the Czech Republic as ornamental trees. Number 3 on the street (pictured) is called U Jalovcového stromu (The Juniper Tree). The street then got its name from that; the photo also makes it clear that Jalovcová is Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 88: Šeříková
Originally published on X on 5 December 2023. A šeřík is a lilac tree. Lilac trees originated in south-east Europe and Asia Minor, but are often grown in the Czech Republic for ornamental purposes. The technical word for lilac – ‘Syringa’ – comes from the Greek for ‘pipe’; ‘lilac’ comes from the French ‘lila’, denoting Continue reading
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Prague 2, day 135: Lípová
Originally published on X on 25 March 2023. Lípová was built in the 14th century. Until the 17th century or so, this was Svaté Kateřiny (St Catherine’s), after the convent-then-monastery: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/08/28/prague-2-day-128-katerinska/ It then became Lípová or U Lip until about 1800, before turning into Zadní Lipová until 1880, at which point the name ‘Lípová’ stuck. A Continue reading
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Prague 3, day 89: Náměstí Barikád
Originally published on Twitter on 21 July 2022. Náměstí Barikád was built in 1904, bearing its current name (Barricade Square) since 1952. Until 1952, this was Perštýnovo náměstí, named after the Pernštejn family, a distinguished noble family from south-western Moravia. Recent followers of these posts will be *stunned* to know that they were Hussites. The Continue reading
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Prague 3, day 67: Jilmová
Originally published on Twitter on 29 June 2022. Jilmová was built in 1933. Did you really think we were done with the trees? This is one case where the Czech and English words are actually quite similar – a jilm is an elm. Elms have been in Czech territory for 12,000 years, i.e. even longer Continue reading
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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
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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
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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
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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
What's in a Prague street name 