1.France.TheGard. Joins the Rhone.Germany.Gard(aha), 8th cent. TheGart(ach).TheKart(haue)in Prussia.2.With the ending en.Scotland.TheGairden. Joins the Dee.France.TheGardon. Joins the Rhone.Greece.Jardanusant. in Crete—here?
In the Gael.sgia, Welshysgw, guard, protection, and in the Welshysgi, separation or division, we have two senses, of which the latter may be more suitable for the following. The Editor of Smith's Ancient Geography suggests that the Scius of Herodotus may be the present Isker in Bulgaria: in an etymological point of view this seems probable, for as Scius = Welshysgi, so Isker = Welshysgarof the same meaning.
Netherlands.TheSchieby Schiedam.Danub. Prov.Sciusant., now theIsker?
From the Gael.scar,sgar, Welshysgar, Ang.-Sax.scêran, to divide, in the sense of boundary, may be the following. The smallriver Scarr in Dumfriesshire forms for six miles a boundary between different parishes.[65]
1.England.TheShere. Kent.Scotland.TheScarr. Dumfriesshire.TheShira. Argyle.Germany.Scere, 11th cent. TheScheer.2.With the ending en.England.TheSkerne. Durham.Germany.Schyrne, 11th cent., not identified.
Any names in which the sense ofland, terra, occurs, may, I think, be explained most reasonably in the sense of boundary or territorial division. To this Grimm places theFuldaof Germany,Fuld(aha), 8th cent., referring it to Old High Germ.fulta, Ang.-Sax.folde, earth, ground.
Perhaps also to a similar origin may be referred theMold(au)in Bohemia, and theMold(ava)of Moldavia. But the Gael. and Ir.malda,malta, gentle, slow, Anglo-Sax.milde, Eng.mild, may be perhaps more suitable: theMulde, which joins the Elbe, and which in the 8th cent. appears asMilda, seems more probably from this origin.
TheBord(au), formerlyBordine, which forms for some distance the boundary between East and West Friesland, may, as suggested by Förstemann, be derived from Old Fries. and Anglo-Saxonbord, border. Another river of the same name (p.33) may perhaps be otherwise derived.
I am inclined to bring in here theGranta, and to suggest that it may have been a Sax. or Angle name of the Cam, or of a certain part of the Cam. This river seems to have formed one of the boundaries of the country of the Gyrvii;[66]its name appears in Henry of Huntingdon as Grenta; and the Old Norsegrend, Mod. Germ.grenze, boundary, seems a probable etymon.
FOOTNOTES:[65]Statistical account of Scotland.[66]See an article by the Rev. W. Stubbs on "The Foundation and early Fasti of Peterborough," in the Archæological Journal for Sept., 1861.
[65]Statistical account of Scotland.
[65]Statistical account of Scotland.
[66]See an article by the Rev. W. Stubbs on "The Foundation and early Fasti of Peterborough," in the Archæological Journal for Sept., 1861.
[66]See an article by the Rev. W. Stubbs on "The Foundation and early Fasti of Peterborough," in the Archæological Journal for Sept., 1861.
In this chapter I include some names which do not come under any of the foregoing heads, or which have been omitted in their places.
The following have generally been referred to Gael.caol, straight, narrow.
1.England.TheCole. Warwickshire.TheColy. Devon.2.With the ending en.England.TheColne. Three rivers.
But even if this derivation is to be received, we must seek another meaning for theKolain Russian Lapland, and theKoli(ma)in Siberia—the latter in particular being a large river, with a wide estuary.
The Gael. and Ir.beag, little, forms the ending of some Irish river-names, as theAwbeg, theOwenbeg, and theArobeg.[67]Themeaning in all these cases is "little river"—owenbeing the same asavon,awthe simple formavof the same word, andaroan appellative as at p.38, now lost in the Celtic.
From the Gael.suail, small, have also been derived the Swale and other following rivers. Chalmers rightly objects to this as inconsistent with the character of the rivers, though the derivation which he proposes to substitute, fromys-wall, a sheltered place, affords, it must be admitted, no very happy alternative. I think the word contained must be related to Old High Germanswal, Old Norsesvelgr, gurges, Eng.swell, though it is wanting in the Celtic.
1.England.TheSwale. Two rivers, Kent and Yorkshire.TheSwily. Gloucestershire.Ireland.TheSwelly. Donegal.TheSwilly. Ulster.Germany.Sualaant. TheSchwale.France.Sulgasant., now the Sorgue.Russia.TheSula—here?2.With the ending en.Ireland.TheSullane.
The following must be referred to OldHigh Germ.sualm, gurges, an extension of the previous wordsual.
Germany.Sualman(aha), 8th century. TheSchwalm.Sulmana, 8th cent. TheSulm.Belgium.TheSalm. Prov. Liège.France.TheSolman. Dep. Jura.
The Shannon has by some writers been derived from Ir.seanorshean, old. But inasmuch as there is no river that is otherwise than old, the term could only be used in a poetic sense, like "that ancient river, the river Kishon." A more suitable etymon, however, seems to me to be found in Ir. and Obs. Gael.siona, delay; this corresponds with the Gaelic form of the name, Sionan, given by Armstrong.
Scotland.TheShin. Sutherland.Ireland.Senus(Ptolemy). TheShannon.Germany.Sinna, 8th cent. TheSinn.Belgium.TheSenne. Joins the Dyle.Italy.Senaant., now the Nevola.Aust. Pol.TheSan, two rivers—here?India.TheSeena—here?
From the Gael.cobhair, Ir.cubhair, foam,froth, appear to be the following.
England.TheCober. Cornwall.TheCover. Yorkshire.Russia.TheChoper.Asia.Chaborasant., now theKhabur—here?India.Chaberisant., now theCaveri—here?
From the Ir. and Obs. Gael.breath, pure, clear, I take to be the following.
England.TheBratha. Lake District.Scotland.TheBroth(ock). Forfar.Germany.TheBrett(ach). Joins the Kocher.TheBrat(awa)in Bohemia.Braht(aha),[68]10th century. TheBracht—here?Asia Minor.Practiusant.—here?
And from the Ir.brag, running water, I follow Mone in taking the following.
1.England.TheBray. Devon.Ireland.TheBray. Wicklow.France.TheBray. Joins the Loire.Germany.TheBrege, in the Scharwarzwald.2.With the ending en.England.TheBraine. Joins the Blackwater.Ireland.Breagna, an old name for the Boyne.
A root for river-names, to which might beput the following, is found by Förstemann in Old High Germ.rôr, Mod. Germ.rohr, arundo, Eng.rush.
Germany.Ror(aha), 11th century, now theRohrbach.Rura, 8th cent. TheRuhr.Holland.TheRoer. Joins the Maas.
The wordsilin river-names would seem to have the meaning of still or sluggish water. The Gael. hassil, to drop, rain, drip; and the Arm. hassila, to filter. (The Old Fries.sil, canal, seems hardly a related word; it appears more probably to be connected with Old Norsesîla, to cut, to furrow.) According to Pliny, the Scythian name of the Tanais or Don was Silis; and several other Scythian rivers had the same name, (Grimm, Gesch. d. Deutsch. Sprach.) In this point of view the above derivation might seem too restricted, and we might think ofsil, as ofsal, (p.75), as formed by the prefixsfrom the rootaloril, to go, (p.71), in the simple meaning of water. According to Strabo andPliny the Silaris of Italy had the property of petrifying any plant thrown into it; but as, according to Cluvier, the modern inhabitants of its banks know nothing of any such property, it would rather seem as if the story had been made to fit the supposed connection of the name withsilex, flint.
1.Switzerland.Sil(aha), 11th cent. TheSihl.Italy.Silisant., now theSile.Scotland.TheShielin Argyleshire—here?Germany.TheSchyl(ant. Tiarantus)—here?2.With the ending en.Sweden.Siljan. Lake.Russia.TheShelon—here?3.With the ending er.Naples.Silarisant., now theSilaro.
The formsilvI take to be an extension ofsil, similar to others previously noticed.
1.Russia.TheSilva. Gov. Perm.2.With the ending er.England.TheSilver. Devon.
TheSimoisin the Plain of Troy I have suggestively placed at p.119to Gael.saimh, slow, tranquil. But, taking the epithetlubricusapplied to it by Horace, we mightperhaps seek a stronger sense from the same root, as found in Welshseimio, to grease,saim, tallow.
The water of theLiparisin Cilicia, according to Polyclitus, as quoted by Pliny, was of such an unctuous quality that it was used in place of oil. Probably only for the purpose of anointing the person, to which extent the story is confirmed by Vitruvius. Hence no doubt its name, from Sansc.lip, to be greasy, Gr.λιπαρος, unctuous.
Grimm (Gesch. d. Deutsch. Sprach.) suggests a similar origin for the Ister, p.117, referring it to Old Norseistra, Dan.ister, fat, grease, Gr.στέαρ. He puts it, however, in a metaphorical sense, as "the fattening, fructifying river." With deference, however, to so high an authority, this explanation seems to me rather doubtful. For the endingster, as I have elsewhere observed, is common to many river-names, and I have taken it to be, like the Arm.ster, formed by a phonetict, from the Sansc.sri, to flow.
Also, from the root of the Sansc.sri, to flow, I take to be Gael.sruam, and again taking the phonetict, the wordstream,strom, common to all the Teutonic dialects. In these two forms we find the ancient names of two rivers—theSyrmusof Thrace, and theStrymonorStrumon, the presentStruma, of Macedonia.
FOOTNOTES:[67]The derivation at p.120I must retract, findingbegas a termination of other Irish river-names.[68]Wiegand, (Oberhessische ortsnamen), refers this name to Old High Germ.braht, fremitus.
[67]The derivation at p.120I must retract, findingbegas a termination of other Irish river-names.
[67]The derivation at p.120I must retract, findingbegas a termination of other Irish river-names.
[68]Wiegand, (Oberhessische ortsnamen), refers this name to Old High Germ.braht, fremitus.
[68]Wiegand, (Oberhessische ortsnamen), refers this name to Old High Germ.braht, fremitus.
The names of rivers form a striking commentary on the history of language, so admirably expounded to the general reader in the recent work of Professor Max Müller.
When we review the long list of words that must have once had the meaning of water or river, we can hardly fail to be struck with the number that have succumbed in what he so aptly terms "the struggle for life which is carried on among synonymous words as much as among plants and animals."
We see too how large a portion of this long list of appellatives may ultimately be traced back to a few primary roots. And how even these few primary roots may perhaps be resolved into a still smaller number of yet more simple forms.
I take for instance, as a primitive starting point in river-names, the Sansc. rootî,â, oray, signifying to move, to flow, to go. We have appellatives even in this simple form, as the Old Norseâ, Anglo-Sax.aê, water, river. But whether they directly represent the root, or whether, like the Frencheau, p.30, they have only withered down to it again, after a process of germinating and sprouting, I do not take upon me to determine.
Then we have the roots, also of the kind called primary,ab,ar,ir,ag,ikh,il,it, all having the same general meaning, to move, to go, and from which, as elsewhere noticed, are also derived a number of appellatives for water or river in the various Indo-European languages. I should be inclined to suggest that the whole of these are formed upon, and are modifications of the simple rootî,â, oray, and that the following remarks made by Max Müller respecting secondary roots, may be extended also to them. "We can frequently observe that one of the consonants,in the Aryan languages, generally the final, is liable to modification. The root retains its general meaning, which is slightly modified and determined by the changes of the final consonants." He instances the Sansc.tud,tup,tubh,tuj,tur,tuh,tus, all having the same general meaning, to strike.
Again—there are forms such asang,amb,and, &c., which are merely a strengthening of the rootsag,ab,ad, orat, and which also are found in a number of appellative forms.
We might pursue the subject still further, and enquire whether the secondary forms, such assar,sal,car,cal, all having the same general meaning, to move, to go, may not be formed, by the prefix of a consonant, on the rootsarandal, and so also be ultimately referred to the simple rootîorâ.
As also the silent and ceaseless flow of water is the most natural and the most common emblem of the efflux of time; so in the same root is to be found the origin of many of the words which mean time and eternity.The Gr.αει, the Goth.aiv, the Anglo-Sax.awa, Eng.everandaye, are all from this same root, so widely spread in river-names, and express the same idea which speaks—
"For men may come, and men may go,But I go on for ever."
"For men may come, and men may go,But I go on for ever."
P.25.
To the rootaborap, water, place the Lith. and Lett.uppe, river, whence the following.
Germany.TheOppain Silesia.Russia.TheUpa. Joins the Oka.TheUfa. Joins the Bielaya.
P.33.
To the rootudplace as an appellative the Obs. Gael.ad, water. And add to form No. 1 the following names.
Russia.TheUda. Gov. Kharkov.France.TheOdde. Dep. Allier.
P.35.
The Celt. wordandorant, water, is nothing more than a strengthening of the above Obs. Gael.ad.
P.40.
In referring to the rootark,erk, I have omitted the Ir.earc, water, the appellative most nearly concerned. The Basqueerreca, brook, might be taken to be borrowed from the Celtic, did we not find in thesame language the more primitive wordsuranderrio, p.38, which seem to form a link with the Indo-European languages.
P.49.
To the rootnig,ni, place—
1.France.TheNé. Joins the Charente.Norway.TheNia. Stift Trondjem.3.With the ending es.Russia.TheNerussa. Gov. Orel.
P.63.
To the rootwig,wic,wy, place the two following names. The Welshgwy, water, is the word most nearly concerned in most of the group.
England.TheWyck. Buckinghamshire.Russia.TheUi. Gov. Orenburg.
P.64.
To the rootvipplace as an appellative the Welshgwibio, to rove, wander,gwibiau, serpentine course. Probably upon the whole the sense of tortuousness is that which should be recognized. The following name probably belongs to form No. 1.
Spain.TheQuipar. Joins the Segura.
P.70.
The Celtic languages have a trace of the wordtrag, to run, in the Old Ir.traig, foot (Zeuss, Gramm. Celt.)
P.83.
For
Greece.Pydarasant. Thrace.
Read
Thrace.Pydarasant.
P.84.
To the Ir.biol,buol, water, place the following names.
England.TheBeaulieu, also called the Exe, in Hampshire.Scotland.TheBeauly. Inverness.Italy.Pauloant., now the Paglione.
P.85.
I apprehend that in the opinion of Celtic scholars of the present day the Ancient British deity Cocidis is not considered to have any connection with the river Coquet.
P.91.
It seems probable that the wordaspin river-names is formed by metathesis from the wordaps, p.27, form 5.
P.97.
TheGryffeand theGirvanmay perhaps be better derived from the Gael.grib, swift.
P.132.
To the rootpadorpand, to spread, may probably be placed—
England.ThePant. Essex.
P.135.
From the roottan, may be derived theDniester, (=Danaster), fromster, river. Or it might be from the rootdan, as in Danube, p.116.
P.136.
The Dan.tang, sea-weed, does not seem to be connected with any word signifying water: it represents the Old Norsetag, twig.
P.145.
To the rootvind, white, clear, place—
England.TheWente. Yorkshire.
P.149.
To the Sansc.taras, Welshtêr, pure, clear, place—
Thrace.Tearusant.
(Ancient Names in Italics.)