# Place names in Catalan: Grau Roig



## worcerize

Hi!

I'm interested in knowing what the names of Catalan-language towns and areas mean.

In this post, I'd like to know what Grau Roig (a ski area in Andorra) means.  I know that "roig" means red/rojo, but I only know "grau" as degree/grade/level, so Grau Roig doesn't make much sense to me!  My guess is that grau means "flat place" here.

(I'd be grateful for answers in English or Spanish; unfortunately my Catalan is not very extensive, but please feel free to include discussion of relevant words and phrases in Catalan or other Romance languages.)


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## Canaryman

I don't know if that i'm gonna say it's relevant, but grau also means "grao" in spanish, "grao" is a kind of beach used like a jetty. Maybe this can help you


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## merquiades

Hello.  Grau seems like it can mean 1. degree, 2. shelf, flat area, landing, 3. worm  and roig is red or muddy, earth coloured.   So maybe reddish, earth coloured, flat landing?. That seems more likely than red worm.  Maybe someone else will have a better idea.


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## ernest_

According to this http://ec.grec.net/lexicx.jsp?GECART=0071340
it also means "mountain pass", so I would assume this is the meaning in Grau Roig, red pass.


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## Namarne

Following the suggestion of ernest, the Diccionari català-valencià-balear adds in its definition that, with this meaning, it is origin of different catalan place names: 


> *2. *Pas relativament planer, a manera d'esglaó o replà que  travessa una costa abrupta (or., occ.). En aquest significat tenen llur  origen diferents topònims catalans, com _Lo Grau d'Escales _(un pas  molt estret entre les serres de Bestracà i les de Ferran), _Sant  Bartomeu del Grau _(entre la Plana de Vic i el Lluçanès), _el Grau  d'Olot _(devers Collsacabra i Rupit), _Es Grau d'Estellencs _(Mall.),  etc.


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## Outsider

So, could a suitable translation for "Grau" be "Plateau" or "Plane"?

And what abour "Roig"?


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## Namarne

Outsider said:


> And what about "Roig"?





worcerize said:


> I know that "roig" means red/rojo,


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## fnasav

Outsider said:


> So, *could a suitable translation for "Grau" be "Plateau" or "Plane"*?
> 
> And what abour "Roig"?



Plane and Plateau refers to a big area. "Grau" is a landing area (like the landing stairs but in geographic terms)

Imagine a mountain:

      ....../\
    ..../....\____     <- this is a "grau"
  ../..............\
/..................\

So, better use "landing" or "landing area"


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## worcerize

Many thanks to all of you!  Sorry for not responding sooner; I was without an Internet connection for a few days and by the time it was restored I had completely forgotten about this thread :-(

So it looks like the translation is something like "red little plateau-pass"!  I can't think of a suitable English word, but anyway I'm more interested in the idea than an exact translation.

And thanks for so many replies!  I'll post some other interesting names soon ;-)


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