Sprimont (; wa, Sprumont) is a
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
of
Wallonia
Wallonia (; french: Wallonie ), or ; nl, Wallonië ; wa, Waloneye or officially the Walloon Region (french: link=no, Région wallonne),; nl, link=no, Waals gewest; wa, link=no, Redjon walone is one of the three regions of Belgium—alo ...
located in the
province of Liège,
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
.
The municipality consists of the following districts:
Dolembreux,
Gomzé-Andoumont,
Louveigné
Louveigné ( wa, Lovgné) is a village of Wallonia and a district of the municipality of Sprimont, located in the province of Liège, Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country ...
,
Rouvreux
Rouvreux ( wa, Rovreu) is a village of Wallonia and a district of the municipality of Sprimont, located in the province of Liège, Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in ...
, and Sprimont.
Other villages:
Banneux, Damré, Florzé, Lincé, Ogné, Presseux, and Rivage.
On January 1, 2006, Sprimont had a total population of 12,782. The total area is which gives a
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
of .
Etymology
Sprimont is an ancient name, the earliest written records of which date from 855 and 856 AD. These are located in the Abbey of
Stavelot
Stavelot (; german: Stablo ; wa, Ståvleu) is a town and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Liège, Belgium.
The municipality consists of the following districts: Francorchamps and Stavelot.
It is best known as the home of Sp ...
.
The etymology of Sprimont is uncertain. ''
A priori
("from the earlier") and ("from the later") are Latin phrases used in philosophy to distinguish types of knowledge, justification, or argument by their reliance on empirical evidence or experience. knowledge is independent from current ...
'', it seems to be the name of a place; however some historians propose that it may derive from a person's name.
[''Bulletin et annales de l’Academie d’Archeologie de Belgique'', vol. XXXVIII, ''Bulletin de l'Institute Archeologique Liégeoise'', vol. VII'']
Spellings of Sprimont may be different, depending on (1) the written language, and (2) the time period. Since Sprimont is more than 1,100 years old, a variety of different spellings are to be expected. For example, Ernst cites "Sprismonte" in 888 AD, and Martine & Duraud cite "Sprismont" in 1049. However, since about 1000 AD "Sprimont" seems to be exclusively used. In (vol. VII), there are further references to the Teutonic and the Frisian , as well as the
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
. These translate as 'speer', 'hasta,' and 'lance.'
There is a consensus that the root is of a Latin origin. If this is correct, the suffix ''-mont'' is probably from , meaning either hill or mountain. However, some historians point out that many geographical names with this suffix belong to places not on a hill, some of which are even in valleys. This may cast doubt on the true meaning being "hill", but another source indicates that was used in Roman times to indicate a way-station for travellers.
As for the prefix of ''spri-'', more debate is required, as its origin seems to be lost to antiquity. Ancient written documents indicate several possible Latin origins: . Regardless of the meaning of the root word, one must also consider the usage in the context of the name itself. For example, if it does indeed refer to a species of tree or wood, in those ancient times, what was the connotation? It has been argued persuasively that 'spri' means 'lance'.
Concluding the etymology of Sprimont, the active might mean 'Mounted Warrior', whereas the passive might mean 'Lance of Defence'. This is from .
Gallery
File:Sprimont, l'église Saint Martin foto5 2017-03-27 11.49.jpg, Sprimont, church: l'église Saint Martin
Image:Louveigne, straatzicht foto2 2010-07-10 14.44.JPG, Louveigné, street view
File:Florzé, l'église Saint-Pierre foto5 2017-03-27 12.07.jpg, Florzé, church: l'église Saint-Pierre
File:Sprimont-Forges, la Nativité de la Sainte-Vierge IMG 9744 2019-06-02 12.25.jpg, Les Forges, church: la Nativité de la Sainte-Vierge
File:Bij Chanxhe, zicht op l'Ourthe IMG 9779 2019-06-02 15.27.jpg, bij Chanxhe, the l'Ourthe
See also
*
List of protected heritage sites in Sprimont
This table shows an overview of the protected heritage sites in the Walloon town Sprimont. This list is part of Belgium's national heritage.
See also
* List of protected her ...
References
External links
*
*http://www.sprimont.be
*http://www.sprimont.net
{{Authority control
Municipalities of Liège Province