The River-Names of Europe Part 4

3. _With the ending et._ _Siberia._ The IRKUT. Joins the Angara.

4. _With the ending es._ _France._ The ARQUES.

_Russia._ The IRGHIZ. Two rivers.

5. _With the ending enz._[15]

_Germany._ ARGENZA, 9th cent., now the ERGERS.

From the Sansc. _ri_, to flow, Gr. ?e?, Lat. _rigo_ (often applied to rivers--"Qua Ister Getas rigat," _Tibullus_), Sansc. _rinas_, fluid, Old Sax. _riha_, a torrent, Ang.-Sax. _regen_, Eng. _rain_, Slav. _reka_, a stream, Welsh _rhe_, rapid, _rhean_, _rhen_, a stream, &c., we get the following group. The river Regen Berghaus derives from Germ. _regen_, rain, in reference to the unusual amount of rain-fall which occurs in the Bohmer-wald, where it has its source. Butmann derives it from Wend.

and Slav. _reka_, a stream, connecting its name also with that of the Rhine. Both these derivations I think rather too narrow.

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 Caesar and Tacitus downwards--being that of rapidity.

Donaldson compares it with Old Norse _renna_, fluere, and makes Rhine = Anglo-Saxon _rin_, cursus aquae. 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 Forstemann 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. Devons.h.i.+re.

_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 Ca.s.sel.

_Norway._ The REEN.

_Italy._ The RENO by Bologna.

_Asiat. Russ._ The RHION, ant. Phasis.

The Sansc. _li_, 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. Ches.h.i.+re.

The LEACH. Gloucesters.h.i.+re.

_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. Ardeche.

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.

1. _England._ The LUG. Hereford.

_Wales._ The LOOE. Two rivers.

_France._ The LOUE. Dep. Haute Vienne.

_Germany._ LOUCH(AHA), 11th cent. The LAUCHA.

LOUA, 10th cent., not identified.

_Holland._ The LAVE.

_Finland._ The LUGA or LOUGA.

2. _With the ending en._ _England._ The LUNE. Lancas.h.i.+re.

The LAINE. Cornwall.

The LEVEN. Two rivers.

_Scotland._ The LEVEN. Two rivers.

_Ireland._ The LAGAN, near Belfast.

_France._ LUNA ant., now the LOING.

_Germany._ LOGAN(AHA), 8th cent., now the LAHN.

The LOWNA in Prussia.

_Norway._ The LOUGAN. Joins the Glommen.

The LOUVEN. Stift Christiana.

_Russia._ The LUGAN.

_Italy._ The LAVINO.

The lake LUGANO.

_India._ The LOONY--here?

3. _With the ending er._ _Scotland._ The LUGAR. Ayr.

_Wales._ The LLOUGHOR. Glamorgan.

To the above root I also place the following, corresponding more distinctly with Welsh _llifo_, to pour.

1. _Ireland._ The LIFFEY by Dublin.

_Germany._ LUPPIA, 1st cent. The LIPPE.

The LIP(KA). Bohemia.

2. _With the ending er._ _England._ The LIVER. Cornwall.

_Scotland._ The LIVER. Argyle.

_Ireland._ The LIFFAR.

More remotely with the Sansc. _li_, liquere, and directly with Welsh _lleithio_, to moisten, _llyddo_, to pour, Gael. _lith_, a pool, smooth water, Goth. _leithus_, Ang.-Sax. _lidh_, liquor, poculum, potus, I connect the following. The rivers themselves hardly seem to bear out the special idea of smoothness, which we might be apt to infer from the root, and from the character of the mythological river Lethe.

1. _England._ The LID. Joins the Tamar.

_Scotland._ The LEITH. Co. Edinburgh.

_Wales._ The LAITH, now called the Dyfr.

_Germany._ LIT(AHA), 11th cent. The LEITHA.

_Sweden._ The LIDA.

_Hungary._ The LEITHA. Joins the Danube.

_Asia Minor._} _Thessaly._ } LETHaeUS ant., three rivers--here?

_Crete._ }