--- In
cybalist@yahoogroups.com, Rick McCallister <gabaroo6958@...> wrote:
>
> So, any relation to George? The one from Wassa's ton?
Hard to say.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington%2C_Tyne_and_Wear
This article roots for *hwæs- but doesn't document the h-; instead it
cites a Wasindone from 1096.
Some connection to the river Wear? Kuhn believes the names of the
rivers Weser (Lat. Visurgis, the 'boundary' between NWBlock and
'proper' Germani) and Werra, a tributary to it, were related (Verner).
That would entail dividing it *wis-urgi-, where *wis- was the
'ablaut'(?) variant of *was-, *wo:s- also seen in German Wiese "meadow".
Torsten