Un topónimo valdoviñés'frouseira', de ‘frondia’, que no frouxeira, de ‘fluxus’

Abstract

Concerning the etymology of 'A Frouseira', two hypotheses are considered: E. Bascuas (2002) chinks that it would be a hydronym from lat. *FLUXARIA , from lat. FLUXUS 'flowing water'; on the other hand, Porto Dapena (2003) proposed that this toponym derives from [at. "'FRAGOSARlA, derived in turn from FRAGOR, -ORIS 'noise', a reference to the noise produced by the sea in Valdoviño (province of A Coruna, Spain). This paper reconsiders the issue, by means of geographical, historical and lexicographical data. According to them, 'Frouseira' is a Romance derivative from 'frousa', a variant of 'fronza' «lat. FRONDIA 'bunch of branches or leaves'), meaning 'frond or low vegetation', but by a process of metonymy, it could have also meant 'broom or tool to sweep'. Borh interpretations would be applicable to the case of 'Frouseira' in Valdoviño, because in the first one -the most likely- the toponym alludes to the ype of vegetation that characterizes the area in which this lagoon is located, and the second would refer to the sea and wind acting as a sweeping instrument on the sandy beach. Finally, this paper examines spelling and pronunciation of the toponym (with s [s] or x [Jl), arguing in favour of the form 'Frouseira', without a doubt the most traditional and usual before the seventies, compared to 'Frouxeira', a form that is now prevailing among people from Valdoviño because of an inadequate linguistic standardization.