The Welsh _du_, Gael. _dubh_, black, probably occurs in river-names, but I have taken, p. 36, the meaning of water, as found in Obs. Gael. _dob_, to be the general one. The Welsh _dulas_, dark or blackish blue, is found in the DOWLES of Shropshire, and in several streams of Wales. The DOUGLAS of Lanarkshire shews the original form of the word, from _du_, black, and _glas_, blue. The root _sal_ I have taken at p. 76 to have in some cases the simple meaning of water. But in the following the quality of saltness comes before us as a known characteristic. _Germany._ SALZ(AHA), 8th cent. The SALZA by Salzburg. SALISUS, 8th cent., now the SELSE. The SALZE. Joins the Werre. _Hungary._ The SZALA.[61] Falls into Lake Balaton. Of an opposite character are the following, which we may refer to Welsh _melus_, Gael. and Ir. _milis_, sweet, _millse_, sweetness. Some other rivers, as the ancient MELAS in Asia Minor, now the Kara-su (Black river), and three rivers of the same name in Greece, must be referred to Gr. μελας, black. _Germany._ MILZISSA, 8th cent., now the Mülmisch. MILSIBACH, 11th cent. _Portugal._ MELSUS ant. (Strabo). FOOTNOTES: [59] The three first are names of persons, and to them we might perhaps refer the present family names WINDOW, WINDUS, VINDIN; though Windo and Winidin were also ancient German names.--(_Förstemann's Altdeutsches Namenbuch._) The Welsh name GWYN and the Irish FINN represent the later form of the word. [60] Or, as I have elsewhere derived it, from the man's name Winder, still found in the district. [61] The waters of Lake Balaton are described as "slightly salt," and I assume from the name that the Szala is the river from which its saltness is derived. CHAPTER VIII. THE SOUND OF THE WATERS. The GRETA in the English Lake District has been generally derived from Old Norse _grâta_, Scotch _greet_, to weep or mourn, in allusion to the wailing sound made by its waters. There is also a GRETA in Westmoreland and a GRETA BECK in Yorkshire. In the Obs. Gael. and Ir., _greath_ also signifies a noise or cry, so that it is quite possible that the original Celtic name may have been retained in the same sense. Of an opposite meaning to the above is the name BLYTHE of several small rivers in England. I do not see how this can be otherwise derived than from the Ang.-Sax. _blithe_, merry. And how appropriate this is to many of our English streams we hardly need poetic illustration to tell us. Of a corresponding meaning with the Saxon name Blythe may be the AVOCA or OVOCA of Wicklow, the OBOKA of Ptolemy. Baxter refers it to Welsh _awchus_, acer, a word of no very cheerful association for the spot where "Nature has spread o'er the scene Her purest of crystal, and brightest of green."