The possible Arab origin of the toponym Cascais

by Marco Oliveira Borges | 2016. With special permission to translate into English | Source: https://sintraecascais.wordpress.com/2016/05/07/a-possivel-origem-arabe-do-toponimo-cascais/

Among the existing theories about the origin of the toponym Cascais, the one that met with greater consensus says that the same came from the plural of cascal, being related to the possible abundance of clusters of shells or shells of marine molluscs [1]. This theory was eventually associated with a Portuguese context in which the toponym Cascais derived from a hypothetical "village of the cascais", as a result of the emergence of maritime settlements with the advance of the Christian "Reconquest" [2]. However, more recently, this name has been associated with the name of the Muslim navigator / admiral Khashkhash (ninth century).

It seems that it was A. H. de Oliveira Marques who first established a possible relationship between Cascais and Khashkhash [3], albeit in a simple footnote and without any kind of explanation [4]. Subsequently, other authors would come to look at the same issue, although they were unaware of the question posed by Oliveira Marques. If in some cases the association between Khashkhash and Cascais is sinful because it is made without any historical or philological explanatory connection that can elucidate the readers, in others it is made through the phonetic proximity between the admiral's name - through the transliteration Kaxkax - and this toponym, without the support of Muslim sources and without knowledge of the historic-graphical problems that revolve around this figure, revealing data that result from an inaccuracy that puts Khashkhash out of his historical time more than 250 years later, which stands out baselessly as a Corsair responsible for maintaining order in a vast maritime sector north of Lisbon, among other misconceptions [5].

In addition to these aspects, which have been revised and deepened, it is necessary to take into account that the reading and interpretation of Muslim sources raises several problems regarding this figure, having existed at least two people of the same family with the same name (Khashkhash) and connections to sea life. We know that one of them, as a Muslim Admiral, died fighting the Vikings somewhere between 858-862 off Cadiz [6], while another was still alive at the end of the ninth century.

In any case, it is feasible that one of these men may have had contact with Cascais, possibly within the scope of the coastal defense of al-?ndalus [7], and that he gave his name to the port of this village (Fig. 1 and 2). On the other hand, a prolonged presence in that port (or a marked event occurring there and one of them had been involved) could have led to the preservation of its name after its departure, and Khashkhash did not necessarily have given their name to that place. This is a hypothesis which, incidentally, can even be thought of in the same way as the Viking presence on the present Portuguese coast, and some possible places of support to the Nordic navigation may even have kept the name given to these warriors after they had departed [8].

If from the historical point of view it is believed that there may have been a contact between Khashkhash and Cascais, from the linguistic point of view it is also possible to link the two words: through the mediation of the last cascal and a connection to Catalunya (Fig. 1 and 4). We have already seen that the theory that met with the greatest consensus until recently says that Cascais will be a toponym of Portuguese origin and that it will come from the plural of cascal. However, keeping the element cascal there, it is possible to think of other hypotheses. In Arabic, khashkhash is the synonymous word for the Portuguese "poppy straw", while in the Catalan lexicon there is the Arabic word "alkhashkhash", meaning precisely "poppy straw" [9]

Consequently, it should be pointed out that the former Muslim occupation of the territory that belongs to the present municipality of Cascais is nothing new, attesting to many localities of Arabic etymology, some resulting from new settlements, others from the fortification of the old ones: Abuxarda, Adruana, Alcabideche, Alcoit?o, Alcorvim, Aljafamim, Alvide, Birre, Quenena, Zambujal, Zambujeiro and probably Bicesse, Murches, Sassoeiros, Talaíde and Trajouce (Fig. 3).

In the course of the investigations and likely connection between Khashkhash and Cascais another hypothesis emerged for the possible origin of the epoch that gives name to this village. In addition to cascall to appear in the Catalan lexicon, it is also known to have a village, sharing the same name in Catalunya (Fig. 4), prior to 1097, which had a rabitat (also referred to as ribat) known in Christian documentation by "Cascall Rapita" [10]. When we think in analogy with Cascais, these data lead us to believe that the origin of this toponym may even be associated with al-?ndalus coastal defense context and the displacement (voluntary or in service of the central power) of military forces from that area to the kura of Lisbon, ending up somehow that port gaining a name that already existed on the eastern side of al-?ndalus (Sharq al-?ndalus). This is a hypothesis that must be seen in parallel with other localities whose name is associated with the coming of human groups, clans or tribes from other areas of al-Andalus and North Africa, such as Alcorvim [11] that is Alquerubim (Malveira da Serra, Cascais). This toponym is linked to the city of Kairouan capital of Ifriqiyah (Arabic: ???????), in Eastern Maghreb.

In order to reinforce this hypothesis of a possible human displacement, we can notice that in the Catalan documentation, associated with the Kashtali, Kashki, Kashkallu, Kashkali (Arab) [12] and Cascall (Christian) forms, there are the toponymic variants Cascal, Cascallo, Cascayo, Caschais, Cascai, Cascait and Cascayll. It seems to us too evident that the Cascais toponym, in its primitive form and deriving from the described Catalan Arab context (although the root of that Catalan village and toponym might have predated the Muslim occupation of the place), had subsequently followed similar forms of that appear attested in the Catalan Christian documentation until arriving at the present one. Thus, it is important to stress that both the first known form of the toponyms (Cascais, 1282 [13]) - at least to date - as well as the present form (Cascais), follow without any doubt the orientation of the Catalan variants.

In short, recent research has shown that the theory based on the emergence of sea fortresses during the Christian "Reconquest", which saw in Cascais the simplification of a hypothetical "village of the cascais" (Portuguese origin), lost its meaning , although the element "cascal" is fundamental for the other interpretations. The data adduced show that the origin of the primitive toponym is much earlier than this moment and that derives from a different context [14]. The continuation of the work will allow to deepen matters not yet addressed or others superficially focused.

[1] About the theories, cf. Rafael BLUTEAU, Suplemento ao Vocabulário Portuguez, e Latino […], pt. I, Lisboa, Na Officina de Joseph Antonio da Sylva, 1727, p. 204; J. Leite de VASCONCELLOS, Opusculos, vol. III – Onomatologia, Coimbra, Imprensa da Universidade, 1931, pp. 416-417; AHMC, AADL-CMC, “[Opinion of Affonso de Dornellas Affonso's opinion concerning the Heraldic Coat of Arms of the municipality of Cascais]”, 14 April 1934; J. Diogo CORREIA, Toponímia do Concelho de Cascais, Cascais, Camara Municipal de Cascais, 1964, pp. [9]-11; Ferreira de ANDRADE (dir.), Monografia de Cascais, Cascais, Camara Municipal de Cascais, 1969, pp. 7-8; José Pedro MACHADO, “Cascais”, in Dicionário Onomástico Etimológico da Língua Portuguesa, 2.a ed., vol. I, Lisboa, Livros Horizonte, 1993, p. 365; A. H. de Oliveira MARQUES, “Para a História do Concelho de Cascais na Idade Média – I”, in Novos Ensaios de História Medieval Portuguesa, Lisboa, Editorial Presen?a, 1988, pp. 108 e 111-112; José D’ENCARNA??O, Cascais, landscape with people inside, Cascais, Associa??o Cultural de Cascais, 2011, p. 14, n. 2.

[2] “The more plausible thesis points to the probable Portuguese word cascal - similar to areal, faial, funchal - identifier of a land or a beach covered with shells or shells of shellfish. There would be some cascais in this zone, and the primitive place-name would be the village of the cascais or the village of cascais, from which Cascais was derived, for simplicity. It would be like this? Only the documentation can one day respond” (cf. A. H. de Oliveira MARQUES, op. cit., pp. 111-112).

[3] Khashkhash, Kaxkax, Hashas, Jashjash, Chaschchasch, etc., according to the transliterations of Arabic for different languages. We adopted the Khashkhash transliteration for transcribing (almost) unequivocally the sounds of the Arabic language. For typographical limitations we have not used letters with diacritics.

[4] “Haverá alguma rela??o entre Cascais e este Hashas?” (cf. A. H. de Oliveira MARQUES, “O ?Portugal? islamico”, in Joel SERR?O e A. H. de Oliveira MARQUES (dir.), Nova História de Portugal, vol. II – Portugal das Invas?es Germanicas à Reconquista, Lisboa, Editorial Presen?a, 1993, p. 245, n. 6).

[5] This subject was analysed by Marco Oliveira BORGES, “A defesa costeira do litoral de Sintra-Cascais durante a época Islamica. II – Em torno do porto de Cascais”, in Ana CUNHA, Olímpia PINTO e Raquel de Oliveira MARTINS (coord.), Paisagens e Poderes no Medievo Ibérico. Actas do I Encontro Ibérico de Jovens Investigadores em História Medieval. Arqueologia, História e Património, Braga, Centro de Investiga??o Transdisciplinar ?Cultura, Espa?o e Memória?, Universidade do Minho, 2014, pp. 430-435; idem e Helena Conde?o de CASTRO, “O navegador mu?ulmano Khashkhash e a possível liga??o com o topónimo Cascais: problemas e possibilidades”, in Arquivo de Cascais. História, Memória, Património, 14 (2015), pp. 6-29.

[6] Jorge LIROLA DELGADO, El poder naval de al-Andalus en la época del califato omeya (siglo IV hégira/X era cristiana). Tesis Doctoral, vol. I, Universidad de Granada, 1991, pp. 124-125; Abbas HAMDANI, “An Islamic Background to the Voyages of Discovery”, in Salma Khadra JAYYUSI (ed.), The Legacy of Muslim Spain, 2nd ed., Leiden, Brill Academic Publishers, 1994, p. 275; Christophe PICARD, La mer et les Musulmans d’occident au Moyen Age (VIIIe – XIIIe siècle), Paris, Presses Universitaires de France, 1997, pp. 21 e 125; idem, L’océan Atlantique musulman. De la conquête arabe à l’époque almohade. Navigation et mise en valeur des c?tes d’al-Andalus et du Maghreb occidental (Portugal-Espagne-Maroc), Paris, Maisonneuve et Larose, 1997, p. 76.

[7] On the strategic importance of Cascais during the Islamic Period and its integration into the defensive system of the district (kura) of Lisbon, cf. Marco Oliveira BORGES, op. cit., pp. 409-441. Recently, as part of the television program "Caminhos" (RTP2), we had the opportunity to participate in an episode on "Coastal defense on the coast of Sintra-Cascais during the Islamic period". The episode can be seen through the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVvG-KbkVvw&feature=em-upload_owner (consulted on 10-05-2015).

[8] Cf. https://sintraecascais.wordpress.com/2016/04/24/sintra-e-cascais-na-rota-dos-ataques-vikings-seculos-ix-xi/ (consulted on 24-04-2016).

[9] Marco Oliveira BORGES e Helena Conde?o de CASTRO, “O navegador mu?ulmano Khashkhash […]”, pp. 22-23.

[10] Al-Idrisi describes the structure as being "beautiful, strong and impregnable from the sea and with a ferocious garrison (qawm)" (apud Dolors BRAMON, “La ràpita del Cascall al delta de l’Ebre”, in Francisco FRANCO SáNCHEZ (ed.), La Rábita en el Islam. Estudios Interdisciplinares. Congressos Internacionals de Sant Carles de la Ràpita (1989, 1997), Ajuntament de Sant Carles de la Ràpita, Universitat d’Alacant, 2004, p. 120).

[11] Derivation of Alquerubim, sometimes also being spelled as Alcorobim. Alquerubim can derive from the Arabic al-qarawiyin, meaning "those of Qayrawan", Kayrouan, city located in present-day Tunisia. Its religious importance assumes such importance that it is seen as the "Mecca of the West"(cf. J. Diogo CORREIA, op. cit., pp. 15-16; José Pedro MACHADO, Sintra mu?ulmana. Vista de olhos sobre a sua toponímia arábica, Lisboa, Na Imprensa Mediniana, 1940, p. 8; idem, “Alquerubim”, in Dicionário Onomástico […], p. 111; António REI, “Ocupa??o humana no alfoz de Lisboa durante o período islamico (714‐1147)”, in A Nova Lisboa Medieval. Actas do I Encontro, Lisboa, Edi??es Colibri, pp. 31-32, n. 35). Adalberto Alves derives the place name Cairu?o from qayrawan, meaning "garrison field [military]" (cf. Adalberto ALVES, “Cairu?o”, in Dicionário de arabismos da língua portuguesa, Lisboa, Imprensa Nacional‐Casa da Moeda, p. 349).

[12] Dolors BRAMON, El Mundo en el Siglo XII. Estudio de la versión castellana y del “Original” árabe de una geografía universal: “El tratado de al-Zuhri”, Barcelona, Editorial Ausa, s.a., p. 158, n. 780.

[13] ANTT, Chancelaria de D. Dinis, liv. I, fls. 46v-47.

[14] Marco Oliveira BORGES e Helena Conde?o de CASTRO, “O navegador mu?ulmano Khashkhash […]”, p. 29.