Nowadays, legendary etymology is a manifestation of the mass culture which has long been popular among Iranians. There are also abundant instances of this type of etymology in the names of cities and towns. One of the cities of Iran, conventionally (non-scientifically) and colloquially etymologized centuries before, notwithstanding its ancient forms, today is known as Kermanshah. In some history books, there is a legend in which Bahram IV, the Sassanid king, is known as the founder of Kermanshah since there is a seeming similarity in the name of the city and the king’s given name. They also believe that he has given his name, Kermanshah, to the city after building it. This legend originates from a misunderstanding throughout history permeated among history books. Today, it is believed as a true story among people.
The present study is an attempt to describe different forms of names given to this city in historical books and historical geographies. Then, it is concluded that the proper name of the city is “mountainous terrain” or “the mountain place”. In this way different methods are applied which include studying Pahlavi script of the name given to this city, reviewing literature surveying the name of the city and meanings attributed to it, considering historical and geographical features of Kermanshah, its cultural and religious status in the past, linguistic rules and etymological analysis of its main name, Kermanshah.
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