--- In
cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "tgpedersen" <tgpedersen@...>
wrote:
>
> The Atuatuci was a part of the Cimbri that the main force had left
> behind in the present Belgium, between Sambre and Meuse. Caesar
> learns (VI,2,3) that "Nervios, Atuatucos, Menapios adiunctis
> Cisrhenanis omnibus Germanis esse in armis", thus the Atuatici,
hence
> the Cimbri are not Germanic? Is there a Germanic etymology for
their
> name?
>
> Torsten
***********
http://www.livius.org/caa-can/caesar/caesar_t07.html
gives a translation of Caesar with a footnote:
"They were descended from the Cimbri and Teutones [2]
Note 2:
This is probably based on the likeness of the names Teutones and
Atuatuci, both being derived from a Germanic word meaning 'people' ."
Note that there are two ideas here: 1) Caesar (or his
informant) noted a likeness between "Teutones" and "Atuatuci",
and 2) this likeness reflects an etymological reality. If someone
will explain the initial vowel and the odd termination, I might
believe it.
Dan