Resumen de Les artigues et les ours, le Tech et les Tectosages: un tour d’horizon sur la celticité des Pyrénées orientales
This paper casts light on the onomastic landscape of the Eastern Pyrenees. Against the background of toponymic evidence we get insights into its prehistoric ethnicity and in particular into its celticity. The etymology of artigue/Artigue both as a common and as a proper noun remains a controversial issue of linguistic research on the Pyrenees. Linguists still tend to adhere to the traditional assessment of an Iberian origin. However – as will be argued here – it can be brought into a more effectual relationship with a Celtic etymology. Evidence is given for a prehistoric language island being situated on the upper reaches of the river Tech and surrounded by speakers of the Iberian language. Special attention is drawn to the etymology of the name of the river Tech. The hydronym is considered to be of Celtic origin. May it be that it derives from the name of the Gaulish tribe of the Tectosages ?
