Re: Volcanus>falcon?

> Volcanus was indeed worshipped in Gaul, but apparently attested
> in inscriptions that show a remarkable syncretism of Gaulish and
> Roman deities, so he was presumably Roman and not Gaulish.

I wouldn't say presumably - but, rather, definitely. Of course, the
Gauls might have re-interpreted Volcanus as meaning "Hawkish" since
they had a native word uolcos "hawk" (much as they would have
interpreted Roman Siluanus as *Seluanos "Possessor").

> I suppose he was considered a God of fire or the smithy --

volcanoes

> were of less concern in Gaul than in Italy.
> Vulchalo was not a deity but a locality, where in Cicero's day
> toll on wine imports was collected.
> 'Falcon' <-- L. 'falco' ?<-- Germanic is supposed to reflect

I.E.

> *pel- "pale". Interpretation of Volcanus or Vulchalo as
> meaning "falcon" in Gaulish would imply I.-E. p- showing up as v-.

I think D. Ellis Evans suggested once that falco: might not be a
Germanic loan in Latin, but the other way around - and that falco:
might come from PIE *gwHel- "curve", which has been proposed as the
same root which gave us Gaulish uolcos, Welsh gwalch "hawk".

- Chris Gwinn