The mountain with a nasty sting

The name «Mont Aiguille» appears quite late on geographical maps, not before the 17th century. However, the mountain is not pointed like a needle, as suggested by its name. It is possible that the local dialect term «aguïo» for a pointed rock might have been confused with the Occitan term «eyguèyo» equivalent to «aiguière» in French, meaning a water vessel. Thus, Mont Aiguille wouldmost likely come from the Occitan name for this mountain (Peiro Eyguèyo), which refers to a «Mountain of Springs», because of the numerous springs at the foot of its northern face (Francès, 1997).