LANGUAGE. 199 



Nor can we separate this people as known to the Romans 

 from any earlier and more strictly aboriginal race. It is true 

 that our tumuli disclose remains of Britons very unequally 

 advanced in the arts of peace and war men who tipped their 

 arrows with flint, and employed hammers of stone, as well as 

 others who were acquainted with bronze and iron. But the 

 ages of stone, bronze, and iron, however distinctly marked they 

 may appear to be in Scandinavia, are not so firmly separated 

 here, as to give any well-grounded hope of thus defining a Pre- 

 Brigantian race. Nor have the few examples of authentic 

 British crania which have been procured by the opening of the 

 tumuli yet afforded any clear testimony of successive races of 

 early British inhabitants. The Brigautes may have been settlers 

 among an earlier population, but we have no sure evidence of it, 

 and the facts known appear quite reconcileable with the hypo- 

 thesis of gradual change in the condition and customs of a long- 

 settled and numerous tribe. 



LANGUAGE. 



The language of the Brigantes remains in their own name, 

 the names of their cities and chiefs, and the unforgotten desig- 

 nations of some of their mountains and rivers. The Anglian 

 invaders extinguished much, but some evidence remains, and 

 that is decisive. Taking first the rivers, we find the following 

 characteristic names and explanations in British, Gaelic, and 

 Erse (chiefly from Chalmers's ' Caledonia ' and Owen's Dic- 

 tionary). 



AIRE Air, B., bright ; Arw, G., rapid stream. 



ALNE ALLEN . Alwen, B. ; Alain, E., white or bright stream. 



BANNEY Ban, Bain, G., white. 



CALDER Cell-dwr, B. ; Coilldwr, E., woody water. 



DON or DUN . . . Dwn, B. ; Don, E., dark, dusky. 



DERWENT .... Dwr-wen, B., fair water. 



DOVE Du, B. ; Dubh, E., black. 



DOUGLAS .... Dwr-glas, B., blue or gray water. 



EDEN Eddain, B., a gliding stream. 



ESK WISK . . . Wysg, B. ; Ease, Uisg, E. ; Esc, Wysc, G., water. 



GRETA Rhe, B., swift. 



