With respect to the Rhine I quote the following opinions. Armstrong derives it from Celt. _reidh-an_, a smooth water, than which nothing can be more unsuitable--the characteristic of the river, as noticed by all observers, from Cæsar and Tacitus downwards--being that of rapidity. Donaldson compares it with Old Norse _renna_, fluere, and makes Rhine = Anglo-Saxon _rin_, cursus aquæ. Grimm (_Deutsch. Gramm._) compares it with Goth. _hrains_, pure, clear, and thinks that "in any case we must dismiss the derivation from _rinnan_, fluere." Zeuss and Förstemann support the opinion of Grimm; nevertheless, all three agree in thinking that the name is of Celtic origin. The nearest word, as it seems to me, is Welsh _rhean_, _rhen_, a stream, cognate with Sansc. _rinas_, fluid, Old Norse _renna_, fluere, and (as I suppose), with Goth. _hrains_, pure. 1. _England._ The REA. Worcester. The WREY. Devonshire. _Ireland._ The RYE. Joins the Liffey. _Germany._ The REGA. Pomerania. _Holland._ The REGGE. Joins the Vecht. _Spain._ The RIGA. Pyrenees. _Russia._ RHA ant., now the Volga. 2. _With the ending en._ _Germany._ REGIN, 9th cent. The REGEN. RHENUS, 1st cent. B.C. The RHINE. The RHIN. Joins the Havel. The RHINE. A small stream near Cassel. _Norway._ The REEN. _Italy._ The RENO by Bologna. _Asiat. Russ._ The RHION, ant. Phasis. The Sansc. _lî_, to wet, moisten, spreads into many forms through the Indo-European languages. I divide them for convenience into two groups, and take first Lat. _liqueo_, Old Norse _leka_, Ang.-Sax. _lecan_ (stillare, rigare), Gael. and Ir. _li_, sea, Gael. _lia_, Welsh _lli_, _llion_, a stream. Most of the following names, I take it, are Celtic. I am not sure that the sense of stillness or clearness does not enter somewhat into the two following groups. 1. _England._ The LEE. Cheshire. The LEACH. Gloucestershire. _Ireland._ The LEE. Two rivers. _Germany._ LICUS, 2nd cent., now the LECH. LIA, 8th cent., now the LUHE. _France._ LEGIA, 10th cent., now the LYS.[16] _Belgium._ The LECK. Joins the Maas. _Hindostan._ The LYE. Bengal. 2. _With the ending en = Welsh llion, a stream._ _England._ The LEEN. Notts. _Scotland._ The LYON and the LYNE. _France._ The LIGNE. Dep. Ardéche. 3. _With the ending er._ _England._ The LEGRE by Leicester, now the Soar. _France._ LIGER ant. The LOIRE. The LEGRE. Dep. Gironde. For the second group I take Lat. _lavo_, _luo_, Old Norse _lauga_, lavare, Anglo-Saxon _lagu_, water, Gael. _lo_, water, Gael. and Ir. _loin_, stream. In this group there may perhaps be something more of the Germain element, _e.g._, in the rivers of Scandinavia.