Saintes
English
Proper noun
Saintes
- A city in the southeastern French département Charente-Maritime, the former capital of the Saintonge province.
- A French Catholic diocese named after the above, its see.
- A French arrondissement named after the above, its capital.
- (in the plural) A small French Caribbean island chain in the Leeward Islands, a dependency of Guadeloupe.
Related terms
- Santones pl
Dutch
Proper noun
Saintes n
- A city in the southeastern French département Charente-Maritime, the former capital of the Saintonge province
- A French Catholic diocese named after the above, its see
- A French arrondissement named after the above, its capital
- (in the plural) A small French Caribbean island chain in the Leeward Islands, a dependency of Guadeloupe
French
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /sɛ̃t/
Audio (Paris) (file) Audio (file)
Etymology 1
From Middle French Xaintes, from Old French Xainctes, from Latin Santones, from Ancient Greek Σάντονες, Σάντονοι, Σάντωνες (Sántones, Sántonoi, Sántōnes), a Celtic tribe that lived in the region of Xainctonge and the settlement of Xainctes (now Saintes, France)
Proper noun
Saintes
- Saintes; A city in the southeastern French département Charente-Maritime, the former capital of the Saintonge province
- Saintes; A French Catholic diocese named after the above, its see
- Saintes; A French arrondissement named after the above, its capital
Alternative forms
(City in Saintonge):
- Xainctes
- Xaintes
Etymology 2
Ellipsis of Îles des Saintes, from the capitalization of saintes, from Spanish Los Santos, from being named after All Saints' Day by Christopher Columbus in 1493, after the recently past holy day of November 1st, before discovery on 4 November of that year.
The French feminine form "saintes" is related to the term "îles", which is feminine in French, whereas the original Spanish term "santos" is masculine, and related to the holiday "Día de Todos los Santos", which is also masculine.
Alternative forms
- Les Saintes
- les Saintes
Proper noun
Saintes
- (in the plural) Saintes; A small French Caribbean island chain in the Leeward Islands, a dependency of Guadeloupe
Synonyms
- Îles des Saintes