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PeterH P
PeterH Dec 23, 2005 18:21:08
Replying to moss

Kennet is a very tricky one - lots of explanations all mixed up with pseudo celto-babble. Forget the fanciful link to the c**t word

Earliest form is Cyntetan c894, Cynete984, Kenete 1200. Cunetio was the early British river name. Once thought to mean "high" as in high king and likened to "Celtic" personal names like Cunobellin (Shakespeare's Cymbelin). Now discounted and thought to come from "cwn" which is Welsh for "dogs" (plural with the singular being "ci") A lot of ancient British words are really pidgin Latin and so "cwn" is clearly from the Latin "canis".

So Kennet could be the "river of the dogs". See - it's a kennel for the dogs that guarded the sheep in the Avebury sheep fold ;o)

L Littlestone
Littlestone Dec 23, 2005 18:29:48
Replying to PeterH

>So Kennet could be the "river of the dogs". See - it's a kennel for the dogs that guarded the sheep in the Avebury sheep fold ;o)<

Tis - the - season - to - be - merry... trala - la - la - la - la - la... (like Keito, I'll get you on that one when you're least expecting it Peter ;-)

M moss
moss Dec 23, 2005 19:21:01
Replying to PeterH

Or, and I am hopeless with etymology, but the Kennet also runs by the roman settlement of Cunetio,
which is situated in the village of Mildenhall, on the other side of Marlborough. Its on getamap su215695, its in a crook of the river with lots of streams, its not too far from the roman road..
Continuously barking dogs strangely enough are a feature of that wretched kennel by the Sanctuary, you can hear them from the river all the time..............

F FourWinds
FourWinds Dec 23, 2005 22:50:41
Replying to PeterH

>> A lot of ancient British words are really pidgin Latin and so "cwn" is clearly from the Latin "canis".

I'm not sure about that one. The Gaelic (probably related to the Brythonic) for hound is <b>cu</b> (as in Cu Chulainn = Hound of Cullen).

Culllen itself has <b>cu</b> roots and places like Glencullen & Kilcullen are all dog related.

F FourWinds
FourWinds Dec 23, 2005 22:52:07
Replying to PeterH

It wouldn't be the only spring that was dedicated to a dog god if it was.