Re: [tied] The Vidivarii

----- Original Message -----

From: ravichaudhary2000

To: cybalist@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Monday, August 26, 2002 11:40 PM

Subject: Re: [tied] The Vidivarii

> Why would - Var/ War- point to a germanic origin, could it not apply equally to a kentish or wightish origin or to another place ?.

 

Well, because the element *wara- 'inhabitant' (coll. *-warija- usually used instead of the normal plural) appears only in Germanic ethnonyms and names of communities -- in fact, it's rather common there, and fully productive in some languages (cf. Sodomware in biblical OE). It could be combined with Celtic proper names (as in Baiovarii or Cantware) and other foreign elements, but was itself Germanic, not Celtic. 

> If the term is just a general trem " woodfolk', who happen to be found in  Poland, it is one thing, but that term could appply to woodfolk anywhere else too.

Why not? But it happened to be that particular tribe's name.

 

Piotr