Editing Nantes (section)

==Etymology==
[[File:Confluence of Erdre and Loire, Nantes, France, 1890s.jpg|thumb|alt=Historical photochrom showing the confluence of the Erdre and the Loire|The confluence of the Erdre and the Loire (where Nantes was founded) in an 1890s [[photochrom]]. The river channels in the picture were diverted and filled in during the 1920s and subsequently replaced with roads.]]
Nantes is named after a tribe of [[Gaul]], the [[Namnetes]], who established a settlement between the end of the second century and the beginning of the first century BC on the north bank of the Loire near its [[wikt:confluence|confluence]] with the [[Erdre]]. The origin of the name ''Namnetes'' is uncertain, but is thought to come from the Gaulish root *''nant-'' 'river, stream'{{sfn|Delamarre|2003}} (from the pre-Celtic root ''*nanto'' 'valley'){{sfn|Vial|1983}} or from ''Amnites'', another tribal name possibly meaning 'men of the river'.{{sfn|Jean-Marie Cassagne and Mariola Korsak|2002|p=88}}

Its first recorded name was by the Greek writer [[Ptolemy]], who referred to the settlement as {{lang|grc|Κονδηούινκον}} ({{transliteration|grc|Kondēoúinkon}}) and {{lang|grc|Κονδιούινκον}} ({{transliteration|grc|Kondioúinkon}}){{efn-ua|See Ptolemy, ''Geography'', 214, 9.}}—which might be read as {{lang|grc|Κονδηούικον}} ({{transliteration|grc|Kondēoúikon}})—in his treatise, ''[[Geography (Ptolemy)|Geography]]''.{{sfn|Billy|1993}} The name was [[Latin]]ised during the [[Roman Gaul|Gallo-Roman period]] as {{lang|la|Condevincum}} (the most common form), {{lang|la|Condevicnum}},{{sfn|L. Pirault|1999|pp=10–19}} {{lang|la|Condivicnum}} and {{lang|la|Condivincum}}.{{sfn|Condivincum}} Although its origins are unclear, {{lang|la|Condevincum}} seems to be related to the [[Gaulish language|Gaulish]] word {{lang|xtg|condate}} 'confluence'.{{sfn|Deroy|Mulon|1992|pp=330b-331a}}

The Namnete root of the city's name was introduced at the end of the Roman period, when it became known as {{lang|la|Portus Namnetum}} "port of the Namnetes"{{sfn|Historique de la}} and {{lang|la|civitas Namnetum}} 'city of the Namnetes'.{{sfn|Deroy|Mulon|1992|pp=330b-331a}} Like other cities in the region (including [[Paris]]), its name was replaced during the fourth century with a [[Gauls|Gaulish]] one: [[Lutetia]] became [[Paris]] (city of the [[Parisii (Gaul)|Parisii]]), and Darioritum became [[Vannes]] (city of the [[Veneti (Gaul)|Veneti]]).{{sfn|Rostaing|1980}} Nantes's name continued to evolve, becoming {{lang|la|Nanetiæ}} and {{lang|la|Namnetis}} during the fifth century and Nantes after the sixth, via [[syncope (phonology)|syncope]] (suppression of the middle syllable).{{sfn|Travers|1836|p=&4}}

===Modern pronunciation and nicknames===
''Nantes'' is pronounced {{IPA|fr|nɑ̃t|}}, and the city's inhabitants are known as ''Nantais'' {{IPA|fr|nɑ̃tɛ|}}. In [[Gallo language|Gallo]], the [[oïl language]] traditionally spoken in the region around Nantes, the city is spelled ''Naunnt'' or ''Nantt'' and pronounced identically to French, although northern speakers use a long {{IPAblink|ɑ|ɑ̃}}.{{sfn|Chubendret – Dictionnaire}} In [[Breton language|Breton]], Nantes is known as {{lang|br|Naoned}} or {{lang|br|an Naoned}},{{sfn|KerOfis}} the latter of which is less common and reflects the more-frequent use of articles in Breton [[wikt:toponym|toponyms]] than in French ones.{{sfn|Favereau|1997|p=27}}

Nantes's historical nickname was "Venice of the West" ({{Langx|fr|link=no|la Venise de l'Ouest}}), a reference to the many quays and river channels in the old town before they were filled in during the 1920s and 1930s.{{sfn|Cornet|1996|p=5}} The city is commonly known as {{lang|fr|la Cité des Ducs}} "the City of the [[List of rulers of Brittany|Dukes [of Brittany]]]" for its castle and former role as a ducal residence.{{sfn|Julie Postolec|2016}}