Opinion

What does the name Lance refer to so frequently in the toponymy of the Canary Islands?

The word lance appears frequently in the toponymy of the Islands. It is a general word in Spanish that has, among others, the meaning of 'Action and effect of throwing'. Its use as a toponym is recorded in the Islands from very early dates after the Castilian Conquest and is related to the throwing of firewood or wood from higher areas to lower ones.

The exploitation of the forest mass of some of the Islands, which was intensive in the 16th and 17th centuries, led to many sites that were used to project logs to lower elevations, thanks to the pronounced slope of the terrain, receiving the name of Lance or, even, that of Lance de la Madera. This toponym Lance is registered, for example, in several municipalities of Tenerife, Gran Canaria or La Palma.


 

Our words

 

desconchar

1. v. To spoil. U. m. c. prnl. They couldn't watch the game because their television got chipped.

2. v. To dismantle. He already had the puzzle half done, and his brother undid it.

3. v. Referring to a bone or joint, to dislocate, to come out of its place. U. m. c. prnl. When jumping, I fell badly and my foot came out of its socket.

4. v. Tf. and LP.  To abort.

Information on the location of words and meanings

Fv: Fuerteventura

GC: Gran Canaria

Go: La Gomera

Hi: El Hierro

LP: La Palma

Lz: Lanzarote

Occ: Western Islands (Tenerife, La Gomera, La Palma and El Hierro)

Or: Eastern Islands (Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria)

Tf: Tenerife

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