Re: That old Odin scenario ...

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "tgpedersen" <tgpedersen@...> wrote:

> --- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Brian M. Scott" <BMScott@> wrote:

>> At 12:51:23 PM on Monday, June 22, 2009, tgpedersen wrote:

>> [...]

>>> So it seems it's *nem-et-, of which the first element was
>>> an adj. That fits in with the Danish place names (Niløse
>>> is on Sjælland, the rest on Djursland in Jutland or just
>>> south of it), and presumably British Nympton.
>>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nemeton

>> <Nympton> (<Nemetone Episcopi> 1269, <Bysshopes Nymet> 1334,
>> <Bishops Nymeton> 1377; <Nimeton(e)> 1086, 1238, <Nimet>
>> 1238, 12490) is 'estate on the river Nymet'. The river-name
>> is 'pagan sacred place, sacred grove', from Prim. Welsh
>> *nïv~ed, Brit. *nemeto- (OIr. <nemed> 'sacred place',
>> OFrank. <nimid>, Gaul. <nemeton>, Lat. <nemus> 'sacred
>> wood', Gk. <némos> 'wood'). The element is found in the
>> OWel. place-name <Eidnivet> and the OBret. place-name
>> <Iudnimet>. Matasovic appears to suggest a possible
>> connection with PCelt. *nemos- 'heaven, sky' (< *nebHos
>> 'cloud, cloudy sky').

> It would seem that Nymet as a river name is not documented directly.
> http://www.ndas.org.uk/place_names.htm

> And

> 'The Nymptons and the Nymets lie within an area which, to judge by
> the place-names, remained heavily wooded until a relatively late
> date. On the south-eastern edge of this area is Morchard Bishop.
> Morchard (DB Morchet) represents British Celtic mor+ cet `great
> wood'. It seems possible that we have here an area with religious
> associations from the pre-Roman period. Any such associations
> remained strong enough to be maintained in the form of a district
> name despite the otherwise blanket removal of British Celtic
> place-names from Devon at the West Saxon take-over.'

> So the Nymptons and Nymets are the sole surviving Celtic place
> names in Devon.

Obviously not: Morchard is in Devon. And there are others: <Dawlish>
is from Prim. We. *duB + *gles 'black stream', <Dart> (river-name) is
from PrW *derw 'an oak-tree' and a river-name suffix *ïnt, the river-
name <Exe> is from Brit. <Isca:>, and I could doubtless find at least
a few more.

> Perhaps one should count in the fact that Devon was not Celtic, but > Belgic:
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgae

You have a strange definition of 'fact'.

Brian