The River-Names of Europe

by Robert Ferguson

THAT WHICH RUNS RAPIDLY, FLOWS GENTLY, OR SPREADS WIDELY.

In the preceding chapter I have included the words from which I have not been able to extract any other sense than that of water. As I have before mentioned, it is probable that in some instances there may be fine shades of difference which would remove them out of that category, but whenever I have thought to have got upon the trace of another meaning, something has in each case turned up to disappoint the conditions.

In the present chapter, which comprehends the words which describe a river as that which runs rapidly, that which flows gently, that which spreads widely, there may still in some cases be something of an appellative sense, because there may be a general word to denote a rapid, a smooth, or a spreading stream.

Among the rivers noted for their rapidity is the Rhone. This is the characteristic remarked by all the Latin poets—

Testis Arar, Rhodanusque celer, magnusque Garumna.
Tibullus.

Qua Rhodanus raptim velocibus undis
In mare fert Ararim.
Silv. Ital.

Præcipitis Rhodani sic intercisa fluentis.
Ausonius.

I think that Donaldson and Mone are unquestionably wrong in making the name of this river Rho-dan-us, from a word dan, water. Still more unreasonable is a derivation in the Cod. Vind., from roth, violent, and dan, Celt. and Hebr. a judge! On this Zeuss (Gramm. Celt.) remarks—"The syllable an of the word Rhodanus is without doubt only derivative, and we have nothing here to do with a judge; nevertheless the meaning violent (currens, rapidus,) is not to be impugned." The word in question seems to be found in Welsh rhedu, to run, to race, Gael. roth, a wheel, &c. But there is a word of opposite meaning, Gael. reidh, smooth, which is liable to intermix. Also the Germ. roth, red, may come in, though I do not think that Förstemann has reason in placing all the German rivers to it.

1.	England.	The Rotha. Lake district.
	Germany.	Rot(aha), 8th cent. The Roth, two rivers, the Rott, three rivers, the Rod(au), the Rod(ach), and the Rott(ach), all seem to have had the same ancient name.
		Rad(aha) ant., now the Rod(ach).
	Holland.	The Rotte, by Rotterdam.
	Asia Min.	Rhodius ant.[37] Mysia.
2.	With the ending en.
	England.	The Rodden. Shropshire.
	France.	Rhodănus ant., now the Rhone.
	Germany.	The Rothaine near Strassburg, seems to have been formerly Rot(aha).
3.	With the ending ent.[38]
	Germany.	Radantia, 8th cent., now the Rednitz.
4.	With the ending er.
	England.	The Rother in Sussex.
		The Rother, joins the Thames at Rotherhithe.
5.	With the ending el.
	Germany.	Raotula, 8th cent., now the Rötel.

Allied to the last word is the Eng. race, and the many cognate words in the Indo-European languages which have the sense of rapid motion, as Welsh rhysu, &c.