Gave (placename element)
The French word gave, as used in the western part of the Pyrenees, is a generic name referring to a torrential river. In the central part of the mountain range, the term for this is neste. The word gave derives from the old Gascon gabar, attested as gabarrus in medieval Latin. Based on a pre-Celtic root *gab meaning 'hollow' (thus 'throat'), it refers to lower places, valleys and rivers. It is widely found in placenames of Gascony as Gabardan, Gavarret, Gavarnie, Gabas, etc. The name of the Gabali (the ancient people living in Gévaudan) is supposed to be related to this stem. The final -r is missing because it was lost in Gascon: gabar > gabà > . Gaves in the Pyrenees
 gaves réunis
 gave d'Arrens
 gave d'Aspe
 gave d'Aspé
 gave de Baralet
 gave de Bélonce
 gave de Bious
 gave de Brousset
 gave de Cauterets
 gave de Cestrède
 gave d'Estaubé
 gave du Lavedan
 gave de Gaube
 gave de Gavarnie
 gave de Héas
 gave d'Ilhéou
 gave de Jéret
 gave de Labat de Bun or gave d'Estaing
 gave de Larrau
 gave du Lavedan
 gave de Lescun
 gave de Lourdios
 gave de Lutour
 gave du Marcadau
 gave de Mauléon
 gave d'Ossau 
 gave d'Ossoue 
 gave d'Oloron
 gave de Pau
 gave de Sainte-Engrâce
 gave de Soussouéou

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Place name element etymologies