Balor is of uncertain etymology, but there is a
slight possibility that the name is related to the Brittonic placename
Belerion, which is believed to have been the old name for Land's End in
Cornwall. All that I can compare the Irish form Balor to is gabor "goat" which
comes from a Celtic *gabr-os - perhaps implying that Balor may come from a
Celtic *Balr-os?
Eithne / Ethlend seems to come from a Celtic
*Et(i)-onia / *Et(i)o-linda (where linda means "waters/drink"). Our three best
choices for *Et(i)- are PIE *Et- "kernal/corn," PIE *Pet- [1] "spread out"
(which gives Gaelic and Welsh words for "thread") and PIE *Pet- [2] "to
fly." Since Ethne is another name for the Boyne river (from Bou-uinda "white
cow"), we should look for a meaning that would accord well with a
rivername.
Manannan comes from the genitive case of the Irish
name for the Isle of Man - ie, Manann/Manand. Manannan literally means "he of
Manauia," where Manauia is the Brittonic/Goidelic word for the Isle of Man (as
well as the territory of Manaw in Scotland). Manannan is the exact semantic
equivalent of the Welsh mythic figure Manawyddan mab Llyr (where Manawyddan
comes from *Manauianos).
Bodua is believed to come from PIE *Bhedh- "to
stick in the earth/ to grave" via a secondary Celtic meaning of "battle" - thus
Bod-u-a would mean "she of the battles," a kenning for a crow.
-C. Gwinn
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, October 20, 2000 5:41
PM
Subject: [tied] etymology of Irish
gods
Whats the etymology/meaning of the children of
Diancecht:
MIACH
CIAN
AIRMED
And of:
BALOR
EITHNE (ETHNIU) , Lug's mother
CATHBAD
BRAN
MANANNA:N / Welsh MANAWYDDAN
Has BODUA "crow" some IE
etymology?