Dear Tom, Dear All,
I didn't think that the Durotriges were found anywhere near the Test. In Iron Age Communities In Britain, Barry Cunliffe draws their eastern border at the Avon.
Jeremy Harte
-----Original Message-----
From: The English Place-Name List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Tom Ikins
Sent: 25 February 2010 00:37
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: The river-name Test
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Sent: Thursday, January 15, 2009 2:55 AM
Subject: [EPNL] The river-name Test
I've been struggling with the Ravenna's form for the river Test 'Traxula' and how it might have become an OE Terste. I'm inclined to be fairly trusting of the form.
It looks like a Latin diminutive, which is impossible according to PNRB.
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The area around the Test and the Avon was populated by the Durotrages (commonly called the Durotriges, but contrary to the epigraphically attested form.) If these people took their name from their earliest primary settlement, would they not be the people of the Duro of the Trag- 'mouth of the Trag-", i.e. Hengistbury Head?
Tacitus in Agricola records a very similar Trucculensem Portum (acc.) var. Trutulensem Portum, interpreted as based on L 'truculentus 'savage, fierce' or a river-name 'Truccula'. This, if not the same river Traxula, can be explained by way of L. trux where an open-top 'a' is read for 'u'.
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I think I now have an answer, at least as to Traxula and the Durotrages.
Trax- as a derivative of tragh- (Pokorny trāgh-, trō̆gh- und trē̆gh-,to drag; to move, run - p 1089), with the agent noun forming suffix -ula/ulum would give Traxula 'the runner'. This would fit with the tribal name Durotrages '(dwellers at the) 'duro' gate of the Test', i.e. vicinity of Southampton.
see on the agent noun forming suffix -ula/ulum:
Watkins, Calvert
On the family of arceō, ἀρκέω, and Hittite ḫark- pp 67-74
Harvard Studies in Classical Philology, Volume 74 (1970)
By Harvard University, ed. G. P. Goold
--
Tom Ikins
The Roman Map of Britain
http://www.romanmap.com
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