EARLY SETTLEMENT OF THE BRITISH ISLES BY CELTS. 315 



" contains the root in a reduplicated form, and the Thamesis or 

 Thames is the broad I sis." Whether the interpretation which Taylor 

 gives of Isis be correct or not, or whether we may find in that word 

 the root eas a cascade, an eas, or a sios downwards, there can be 

 little doubt that Isis is a Gaelic word. It is better to regard Tamh, 

 the first syllable in Tamesis, as meaning quiet or silent, or as the 

 root Tabh, water, which occurs in Tay and Tagus. 



The rivers Anne, in Devonshire, and Ehen, in Cumberland, come 

 from amhainn, the Gaelic word for river. Esk, in Yorkshire, and 

 Eskle, in Hereford, faithfully reproduce uisge, the Gaelic word for 

 water. Devon is a contraction of da, two, and amhainn, an, river, and 

 therefore means two rivers. The Exe in Devonshire, the Ouse in 

 Yorkshire, the Ouse in Norfolk, and the Axe in Somersetshire, are 

 derived from the same root uisge, water. Leven, in Yorkshire, is 

 compounded of Hath, hoary or grey, and amhainn or an, a liver, and 

 means the grey river. Don, in the same county, is a compound of 

 dubb, black, and an, i.e., the black river, or it may simply be from 

 domhainn, deep. Don is the name of a river in Aberdeenshire, and 

 Doon, in Ayrshire, is the same as Don. Dee, in Cheshire, is com- 

 pounded of da, two, and abh, water, Daabh, Deva, Dee, and means the 

 two waters. Aire, in Yorkshire, the river on which Leeds is situated, 

 is compounded of a, water, and reidh, smooth, i.e., the smooth water. 

 It is the same as the river Ayr in Ayrshire, the river Aray in 

 Argyleshire, and the river Arra in Tipperary. 



Tyne, in Northumberland, and also in Haddington, is from teth, 

 warm, and an, a river, the warm river. 



Aldie, in Suffolk, is from edit, a stream, and dubh, black or dark, 

 the black stream. 



Lee, in Cheshire, is from liath, hoary. 



Leen, in Nottingham, is from liath, hoary, and an, the hoary river. 



Stour is the name of six different rivers, and comes from sturr, 

 rough, uneven. 



Cover, in Yorkshire, is the Gaelic word cobhair, froth, and means 

 the frothy river. 



Avon, which is the Gaelic word amhainn, occurs in many parts of 

 England. 



Severn is from seimh, smooth or calm, and burn, watei\ 



The names of English streams and rivers which have now been 

 adduced, may suffice to show, because they are undoubtedly Gaelic 



