Re[2]: [tied] Re: Hachmann versus Kossack?

At 2:24:10 AM on Friday, April 11, 2008, fournet.arnaud
wrote:

>>> In nothern France, there are place names like
>>> belle-brune supposedly Celtic bala "white river" and
>>> Germanic brunnen "fountain".

>>> I suppose you won't appreciate this Celtic presence in
>>> your substrate.

>> What's your source for that etymology?

> A modest source. Poulet, D., 1997, Noms de lieux du
> Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Editions Bonneton, p.73

The name appears as <Berebronna> 1116, <Belebrunna> 1172,
<Bellebrona> 12th c., <Bellebronna> 14th c. Unless Poulet
has new evidence, I'd go with Morlet (and the older Dauzat &
Rostaing) and derive the first element from the masculine
Gmc. name <Bero>.

Brian