Κελνιου
Attested: Ptolemy 2,3,5 Κελνιου (or Καιλιος) river mouth
Where: River Deveron, reaching the Moray coast next to Banff, NJ694639.
Name Origin: PIE *kel- confusingly has a dozen or more meanings, but ‘to cut’ seems most appropriate to explain all the parallels. 6 rivers now called Coln or Colne plus 2 called Clun are a mixed bag of middle-sized rivers, rich in wildlife and not especially bendy, rapid, or easy to navigate. Or else, Greek κελλω (possibly related to the verb hail) meant ‘to put to shore or into harbour’.
Notes: A previous analysis noted *kel- ‘to cover, to conceal’, which developed to *kelna-, and then to Latin cella ‘storeroom, granary’. Maybe the Roman navy kept pace with the Roman army marching along the line of the modern A96 road from Aberdeen to Elgin, and could provide logistic support to the likely vicinity of Lodone camp via the river Deveron, which modern canoeists can travel all the way. Is it significant that Greek κελαινος meant ‘black’ and Watson (1928 p231) wrote that the river Deveron was on record as meaning something like ‘black Eire’?
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Last edited 2 June 2023 To main Menu