Blair Collection > Critical dissertations on the origin, antiquities, language, government, manners, and religion, of the antient Caledonians, their posterity the Picts, and the British and Irish Scots

114 Remarks on the Welch y
once fo common in South Britain, Ifca Silurum,
Ifca Damnoniorum^ Ifca Legi nis ^ecunciee, and fo
on, common, I mean, in time of the Romans,
fignifies plainly IVater or a River, in tht Galic
and Irifh. The Wellh have loft the fignification,
and almoft the ufe of that word, which is Uifce
in the languages juft named, and Wyjk in that of
the old Kymri. For that reafon the learned Camb-
den was not able to find out the meaning of
I/ra, in the names mentioned above. But in all
the divifions of Britain were many rivers which
had no other names than the geneial app.llatives
of Urjky Avon, IVy and Taw *. In Scotland are
many fuch which are called Ejk, though corruprly,
to this day. In England are feveral Avons, and
many fmaller waters which have wy for their fii al
fyllahle, as there is a large navigable one oiftin-
guifhed by the fame appellative. In the compound
* The largeft river in Scotland is called Taijo in the Galic,
the moft noted rivers in V> ales are called Taff, and the Thames,
the nobleft river in Britain, was undoubtedly called Tamh in
the old language of the country. Tamh fignifies the ocean, or
great fea, in Galic, and ^^'or Tauch haa the lan-'e meaning in the
Welfli I am perfuaried that thele rivers obtained the nanjes
now mentiontd, becaufe they are ocean like, or feas. if rom-
paied to fmaller •..reams ; jufl: as the Hebrews, and lometimes
the Romans, gave the name of a fea ro a large coiiettion of
frelli water. For the fame realon wa- the Tagus of 1 ufirania fo
called; the Taio Oi the prt'ent times, a word which comes
nearer to the old Celtic name ot (hat ri\er. Here likcwile it
may be obfcrvcd tba' rhv D'iria- of the Alpine regions, the
Dftr'tus of Sp;.in, and the Durtit:ius of Gaul, are ail appellative
nouns, derived fiom the Celtic word Dur or water ; and 1 and
farther, that aimolt -)\\ the laige rivers in Europe ha>e the \(Aa-
bles. Auon. Ifc. or Dur. ti.'r.er in the bcginninij or trd ot tt-vir
name;, tbntij>h much uiiguiieti by the infiedions of Greek and
Koriian writas.
names