Homophonic Transformation of Toponyms: some Examples from Andalusi Arabic and a New Instance from Pla de l'€™Estany

It is a well-known fact that with the substitution of  Romance languages for  Arabic many Andalusi place names were given a new interpretation and, accordingly, a new shape through folk etymology, relative homophony being one of  the most salient factors governing the process. The present paper gathers and analyses some instances of such homophonic reinterpretations and also suggests a similar origin for the Catalan place name Lió (Pla de l’Estany, Banyoles), which, just like some other -lleó and -lió toponyms, might derive from the Arabic al-^cuyūn ‘the springs’.