St. Lucia.
DERIVATION OF "LONDON."
(Vol. iv., p. 437.)
I beg to suggest that the word London is derived from the Celtic Luan, "the moon," and dun, "a city on a hill;" thus Luandun would mean "the city of the moon," i.e. of "the temple of the moon." I have seen it stated somewhere, that the site of St. Paul's was formerly that of a temple of Diana: if this be true, it gives weight to my definition of the word. I would also suggest that the name of Greenwich is indicative of the religious worship of the ancient people of Britain; as Grian is "the sun" in Celtic, and no doubt Greenwich could boast of its "Grynean grove."
"His tibi Grynæi nemoris dicatur origo:
Ne quis sit lucus, quo se plus jactet Apollo."
FRANCIS CROSSLEY.
M. C. E. is referred to the two following passages from Fuller, if he has not already met with them:—
"That it was so termed from Lan Dian, a temple of Diana (standing where now St. Paul's doth) is most likely, in my opinion."—Worthies, art. "London."
"This renders their conceit not unlikely who will have London so called from Llan Dian, which signifieth in British, 'the temple of Diana.'"—Church History, i. § 2.
J. EASTWOOD.