“Cole” and “Cold” Place-Names (12 S. xi. 404).—A few days before reading the interesting article by Mr. Alfred Watkins, I met an Italian gentleman who has lived for many years in England, by name Colatto. He told me that his family, of which he had a long pedigree, was connected with that of the Hohenzollerns, that the two families separated about seven hundred years ago, and that his branch settled at Treviso, about fifteen miles to the north-west of Venice. The present owner of the castle and large estates there supported the Austrians in the late war, and consequently suffered forfeiture: but, when the property was put up for sale, he bought it back for some millions of lire.
Mr. Colatto told he that the name of his family was originally Colalto, from which it had been changed as a disguise in troublous days. It would appear that the “alto” of Colalto corresponds with “hohen” of Hohenzollern, meaning elevated. “Col,” in English and French, and “collo” in Italian, mean a mountain-pass, and “zoll” may correspond with them.
If my conjecture is right, these names support the theory that the prefix “col” is associated with
hill-ridges, and the surveying of mountainous tracts, and suggest that the families of Hohenzollern and Colalto held
high positions as surveyors, or “cole-men.”
Lees Knowles.
Carlton Club, S.W.
Source info: MS note by AW “N & Q Dec 2”; checked in library.