velká

Velká is a Czech toponym formed from the feminine adjective velká, meaning "great" or "large." In Czech, Velká functions as a place-name element and is often used in the names of villages and municipalities. It does not refer to a single, standalone location; rather, it appears in multiple geographical names across the Czech Republic, sometimes as the first element of a compound name.

The use of Velká in toponyms historically reflects relative size or importance within a local area, such as a settlement being larger than nearby smaller villages or distinguishing a particular locality from another with a similar name. Over time, these descriptive beginnings became standardized components of official names, retained in municipal records and maps.

Notable examples (where Velká appears as part of the official name) include Velká Bíteš, a town in the Vysočina Region, and Velká nad Veličkou, a municipality in the South Moravian Region. These instances illustrate how Velká commonly appears at the start of compound toponyms rather than as an independent place name by itself.

In Slovak, a cognate form, Veľká, is used in similar fashion as a place-name element, reflecting the shared linguistic heritage of Czech and Slovak toponymy. While Velká itself is primarily a Czech usage, its meaning and function as a descriptor in geographic names are comparable in the neighboring language area.

Overall, Velká is best understood as a descriptive component in multiple Czech place names rather than a single, specific location.