Ρηγνοι
Attested: Ptolemy 2,3,28 Ρηγνοι tribe, with one πολις at Νοιομαγος
In the same area as Antonine Itinerary iter 7 Regno and Ravenna Cosmography Navimago regentium
Where: People, or a client kingdom, around Chichester, in south-central England.
Name Origin: Ptolemy's form is best explained as from Greek ρηγνμι/ρηγυω ‘to break asunder’ and/or Welsh rhygnu ‘to saw, to cut into pieces’, presumably both descended from PIE *wreg- ‘to break’. This implies that (as Tacitus stated) the Romans split off some territory from its previous political allegiance for their client king Cogidubnus to rule. The two later forms appear (as Rivet & Smith suggested) to have assimilated to Latin regnum ‘kingship, kingdom’. PIE *reig- ‘to reach, to stretch out’ and *rei- ‘to cut’ are both in the running to be the ultimate root of several names, Roman and later in this area, with *bhreg- less likely.
Notes This analysis rejects the idea (favoured by Rivet & Smith) of a tribe of ‘proud ones’.
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Last edited 24 October 2022 to main Menu