1809.] 
he began his literary career in the office 
of an attorney, in some town in Devon- 
shire. 
Your correspondent will forgive the 
curiosity, and oblige by replying to the 
enquiries of, A NATIVE OF TOTNES. 
London, Nov. 21, 1808. 
eaten 
Lo the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
ARIOUS have been the explana- 
tions of the term Lhkening, but that 
of Mr. Wise is the most remarkable, who 
derives it from the name Ostorius. The 
word may be conceived to be otherwise 
divided than in my last. Let it then be 
as in Zi-en-ing, and it will read the hill- 
land-track, or high-way, as before. 
We find Ard, and other words, used 
for high and tor hill. U and L were 
formerly written in words describing the 
features of nature, for each other; and 
where a noun ended in U, and was to 
take another in the following syllable, it 
was generally changed to Rt or £. Hence 
Cau, an bill was changed to Cal in Cale- 
donia. Cal or Cale is also the name of a 
hillin Kent. Many have been the at- 
tempts to explain, and as many have been 
the failures in rendering the word Cale- 
donii: and yet nothing is more clear, nor 
more easy to conceive than this—that it 
is translated in the term, Highlunders. 
The same may be said of all our old 
names, they are explained by our modern 
ones. 
In my last letter, the word Tract, in the 
fifth column should be read T7ack—Ai- 
gle, in the same column, should be read 
4lighe; and in the last column, only 
should be read often. 
I have shewn, that many of our old 
roads took their names from their cen- 
struction, their situation, and their uses ; 
and I have here to shew, that like the 
Akemann-street, and the <Armin-street, 
the Watling-street did likewise take its 
name from Formation. 
In ancient times, nations visited not 
each other except to war against each 
other, no roads were made or kept for 
accommodating enemies. ‘Time alters 
not old names, though it may multiply 
new ones. This road was of old the 
Ridge-Way, the high Ridge-Way, or the 
high Dyke-Way. It has beea recently 
the Irish Road. 
_ The town Ikening has been taken for 
granted, to come from the Ikeni; and 
Richard of Cirencester having named the 
Watling-street, Via Guethelinga, this bath 
been deemed by authors to be derived 
Derivation of Watling-street, Ke. 
541 
from the Guetheli: butif the Ikeni gave 
not name tothe Ikening-street, so neither 
might the Guetheli give name to the 
Watling-strect. 
Were I to examine all the mistakes in 
derivations, drawn from the features of 
nature, which might elucidate my subject, 
this letter would have no end. In the 
names of hills, a notable instance occurs. 
The denominations for head being also 
often names for hills; and several other 
parts of the body having names which 
seemed to bear affinity to other words 
for hills; Mr. Lhuyd conceived, that hills 
were denominated from the names of the 
parts of the body. In explaining these 
names, he observes, that many hills in 
Wales, named Isgir, imply a Leg ; Esgir 
being in Welsh, a Leg. But the word 
from whence these Esgirs are derived, is 
Aisgear, and is formed from Ais, an Hill’; 
and gear, sharp, steep, &c. Aisgear 
therefore means not a Leg but a Steep 
Fill. ,; 
In naming the counties, Sum in Sumer= 
saet, might be derived from Samh or Sav, 
varied to Sam and Sum; er might be in- 
tended for Border; and Saet for Track: 
and the word might be intended to imply 
the Water Border Track. But I question 
this knowledge of the Saxons: for the 
name may be imputed to their mistaking 
the word Sav. ‘The river Severn was 
named by Ptolomy, Sabriana or Sabrian ; 
which from Sab or Sava Stream, and Rian 
a Road or Track, implies the Road 
Stream, ov Stream for Ships. But Sav, a 
Stream, seems to have been unknown; 
and Sumh, or Sav, Summer, seems to have 
been bettér understood: and hence the 
land lying on a part of this stream, was, 
by the Saxons named Sumersaet ; Sumer 
in Saxon implying Summer, and Saet, a 
Track. 
In like manner, the Guideli were named 
Gadeli, Gatheli, Gaodheali, Goidheali, 
Gaduli, Gaedali, and perhaps Geadali ; 
and these words are known to imply Irishe 
men. But Geadaling, which meant the 
High Ridge Way, or the High Dyke 
Way, (from Gead, a ridge, bed, or small 
spotof ground; alhigh; and Ing, a way,) 
names which the Watling-street has long 
obtained from translations, was unknown. 
The road was therefore mistakenly ren- 
dered—Geadling, when the a is dropped, 
and the / used euphoniously, means the 
Ridge Way, which is another old name 
for this road. 
The word Geadh, a goose, is changed 
in the Welsh to Gaydh or Gwydh; Keir 
Wax to Kiyer ; and Gead, in Geadaling, 
é ' to 
