Journey to Portugal by José Saramago

Via Mora again to Montargil, alongside the dam that gives it its name, and just as well because there's nothing worse than being called after any old thing, and so the traveller arrives at Ponte de Sôr. Now here's a modest name: being on the bank of the Sôr (and Sôr what of that? Is Sôr a Sir? ) a bridge was needed and so a bridge was built. Then came the village, and what was that going to be called? Presumably there's no point even in discussing it: there was the bridge, and there the river with its monosyllabic name, so it had to be Ponte de Sôr and let's hear no more about it. It didn't turn out badly but the traveller, considering that ultimately it would all merge into the River Longomel, thinks of what a sweet name Ponte de Sôr would have were it called Longomel [much honey].

And if there's a Longos Vales, then it would be proper for it to be a region as big as the Alentejo, with a name that expresses as much in a single word, given that it already has one that puts it poorly: latifunàio.16 And this is it: Longador [much pain].