Where does “Besançon” come from?
Besançon (English) comes from French Besançon, from Latin Vesontio, from Proto-Celtic ves, from Proto-Indo-European wers-, from Proto-Indo-European wer- — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.
Ancestry of “Besançon”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | French | Besançon | — |
| 2 | Latin | Vesontio | — |
| 3 | Proto-Celtic | ves | mountain |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | wers- | to wipe; peak, height |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |