Giano
Attested: Giano at position 1 in the Ravenna Cosmographyd
Where: Probably the Roman fortlet and signal station at Martinhoe called
The Beacon, at SS66304934, on the northern cliffs of Cornwall, with a superb view over the Bristol Channel towards Wales.
Name Origin: Giano has long been interpreted as a corruption of *Glano. This fits Cornish glann ‘bank’ and Welsh glan ‘river-bank’ better than Gaelic gleann and Welsh glyn ‘valley’. Glanum in the south of France perches on the side of a hill, while Camboglanna (Castlesteads), and Glannoventa (Ambleside) are on more modest hillsides. This Roman-era sense of *glan- parallels Nordic klint ‘coastal escarpment’, preserved in modern English as clint, but the word takes an initial G in languages to the east, such as Russian глинт.
You may copy this text freely, provided you acknowledge its source as www.romaneranames.uk, recognise that it is liable to human error, and try to offer suggestions for improvement.
Last edited 26 April 2020 To main Menu