Botnen

Botnen is a Norwegian toponym used for several rural places and farmsteads. The name refers to the bottom of a valley, the foot of a hill, or the lower end of a stream, reflecting its descriptive origin in the Norwegian word botn, meaning bottom or base. As a place name, Botnen is typically attached to small settlements that lie at the valley floor or near a watercourse, rather than to large towns.

Geographically, Botnen sites are found across several counties in Norway. Because it describes a landscape position rather than a historic event or person, the same name has been applied independently in different places. The resulting Botnen locations are usually small and rural, with land use dominated by agriculture, forestry, or tourism, and they are integrated into larger municipal administrations.

In maps, land records, and local signage, Botnen is treated as a conventional element of place naming. Instances of Botnen may appear as the primary name of a village or as part of a longer locale, but there is no single Botnen; rather, multiple distinct places share the name. The term also serves as an example in studies of descriptive Norwegian toponyms.