Santiago de Compostela - Toponym

Toponym

Santiago is the local Galician evolution of Vulgar Latin Sanctu Iacobu "Saint James". According to legend, Compostela derives from the Latin Campus Stellae (i.e., "field of the star"); it seems unlikely however that this could yield the modern Compostela under normal evolution from Latin to Galician-Portuguese. Other etymologies derive the name from Latin compositum, local Vulgar Latin Composita Tella, meaning "burial ground"; or simply from Latin compositellam, meaning "the well-composed one". Other sites in Galicia share this toponym, akin to Compostilla in the province of León.