Copey on TMA

close
more_vert
moss M
moss Oct 12, 2006 07:45:23
Replying to morfe

morfe wrote:
Does anyone know anything about a specific 'Neolithic' Tarka Trail?
Sorry, I suffer from" stream of consciousness" first thing in the morning.
Fuller answer... No, when you look at the etymology of Tarka its just a made up word, it can't be a neolithic trail, they follow upland landscapes, as was JC reference to " tor to tar" tar was much later; linkage is almost impossible to earlier words - not saying it did'nt happen but Tor - Tar - Tarka just did'nt add up..

M morfe
morfe Oct 12, 2006 08:40:43
Replying to moss

Thanks Moss,

I thought the same thing.


"Tarka", a fictional account of a west country otter which celebrated both the animal and the landscape of north Devon. "Tarka" in Williamson's etymology meant "little water wanderer"

http://www.rosneathpeninsula.org.uk/area/nathist.cfm?PageNum_getCols=3

"Tor"

"high, rocky hill," O.E. torr "tower, rock." Obviously cognate with Gael. torr "lofty hill, mound," O.Welsh twrr "heap, pile;" and probably ult. from L. turris "high structure" see tower). But sources disagree on whether the Celts borrowed it from the Anglo-Saxons or the other way round.

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=tor