> The forms Núadu/Nudd/Nodens reflect Proto-Celtic *noud-ant- (or
> *neud-ant-).
If I am not mistaken, the Brittonic form is usually constructed as
*Neudont-s (becoming *No:dont-s in Late Brittonic).
> I don't know of a convincing internal Celtic etymology.
> Perhaps it is connected with the root *neud- 'use, enjoy, possess',
> known from Germanic and Baltic (but not, AFAIK, from Celtic) --
then it
> could be etymologised as *neud-(o)nt- 'possessor', but I'm just
guessing.
That's the one that I prefer (the Romano-British god Nodens was
associated with marine symbols, and a depiction of a fisherman was
discovered at his temple at Lydney - this would match up with Gothic
nuta, which meant "fisher"
Other possible roots are:
neu- to call; praise
neu- to push
neudh- to desire; lust for
neu- new (Olmsted suggests this for *Neudont-s - I believe he
reconstructed the names as something like "He that Gives Newness")
- Chris Gwinn