The link between (h)iri (and related words) and fortified places

Abstract

If the word hiri is currently defined as a built place with a high density of population, this term also may name different living zones, from urban agglomerations to isolated countryside areas. In this contribution, we propose the idea that a long time ago it could also refer to a place for protection or a fortified place. The numerous visits we have done in the Basque Country to places whose name includes hiri, easily show that all these places have been fortified places, from the bronze ages to at least the 12th – 14th centuries.