Philological Proofs of the Original Unity and Recent Origin of the Human RaceJohnes, Arthur James
History
Philological Proofs of the Original Unity and Recent Origin of the Human Race
Johnes, Arthur James
Ethnology; Human beings -- Origin; Language and languages; Monogenism and polygenism
Trev-iri, the people of Treves. A-Treb-ates, the people about Arras. (For
further examples see Dr. Prichard’s work.) Trev is a common element in
names of places in Wales, as Tre-vecca, Tre-gynnon.
Trigo, to reside, dwell, (_Welsh._)
Duro-trig-es, the dwellers on the Water or Sea, the people of Dorsetshire.
(Camden.)
Catt uriges. (See Dour.)
Dun-um, a Hill, a Fort or Town, generally on a Hill, (occurs in _Welsh_
and _Irish_.)
Oxell-dunum, a Hill-fort in Gaul, described by Cæsar. (See numerous
instances in Dr. Prichard’s work.)
“Castell Din-as Bran,” on a lofty eminence in the Vale of Llangollen,
Wales.
Dur, Duvr, Awethur (_Welsh_), Dour (_Cornish_), Dur (_Armorican_), Dovar
(_Irish_, obsolete, but occurs in ancient MSS.) “Water.”
This word, and Ydōr or Hudōr (_Greek_), and Tschur (_Armenian_), “Water,”
have an obvious affinity. These forms may be traced in the names of Celtic
Localities.
“Dour” occurs in the following names of Rivers: Dur, (_Hibernia_,) Dur-ia
Major, “The Doria,” and Duria Minor, (_Gallia Cisalpina_,) Dur-ius, “The
Douro,” and “Dero,” (_Hispania_,) Dur-anius, “The Dordogne,” (_Gallia_).
In _Bucharian_ Deriâ means “The Sea.”
Ydōr or Hudōr (_Greek_), Awethur (_Welsh_), occur in the Rivers “The
Adour,”(59) Atur-is (_Gallia_), “The Adder” (_Britain_), “The Adare”
(_Ireland_.)
“Tschur” (_Armenian_), occurs in “Stura,” (_Gallia Cis._), “The Stour”
(_Britain_), “The Suir” (_Britain & Ireland_), “The Souro” (_Spain_, a
branch of the Tagus.)
From the frequent recurrence of all these different forms in several
Celtic countries thus widely separated, it is plain that they were used
conjointly by the early Celts, and represent various transitions of the
same word. Thus “Stura” (in _Gal. Cis._), flows between the neighbouring
streams Duria Major and Duria Minor, &c.
This word “Dour” enters very largely into the names of tribes; it forms
singly a natural clue to a great number of names that hitherto have been
referred to a complication of Roots. Thus the Roman name for the people of
Dorsetshire, Duro-trig-es, i.e. The dwellers on the Water or the Ocean,
has been noticed by Camden.
In the preceding, and in several of the following, it will be apparent
that the old Celts applied this term to the “Sea or Ocean,” as the
Bucharians do, and also to a “River.” At present the Welsh apply the term
to Water only, in a restricted sense.
In the South-east of England names abound (applied to places on Rivers or
the Sea) in which the two slight variations of Dur and Du-v-r (or Do-v-ar,
_Irish_), still preserved in Welsh, are apparent. Duro-vern-um,
“Canterbury,” from Duro, Water, and Vern or Veryn, a Hill. (Compare the
name of the “Ar-vern-i,” under Beryn, at p. 78.) The Town was on a Hill by
the Stour.
Portus Du-b-r-is or Dub-r-œ, i.e. “Sea Port,” the modern “Do-v-or,” a word
which is an echo of the Irish Dovar and the Welsh Du-v-r.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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