Non-Hellenic Portion of the Latin Language. 535 



of places commencing with the separable word Ven — Venusia and 

 Venusini, for example. It is to be observed, that the men of 

 Gwent are called Cumraice Gwenhwyson, which a Roman would 

 write Venusones, or perhaps Venusini. 



1 Caradawg o Went ai Wenhwyson ; 

 " Caradog of Gwent and his Venusini." 

 Gwern, a swamp or wood, is one of the commonest sources 

 of Cumrian names — Penwern Tynwern, Werndii, &c. It seems 

 to have been no less in use in ancient Italy ; witness 

 Amit-ern-um, an ancient Sabine town ; 

 At-ern-um, in Picenum, on the Aternus ; 

 Av-ern-us, the lake. Aw, water ; Gwern, wood ; 

 Clat-ern-a, near Bononia ; 



2 Cli-ternum, in the Sabine territory ; 

 Clit-ernia, in Apulia ; 

 Lit-ernum, in Campania ; 

 Leut-erni, in Apulia ; 



and many others. To the same source should be referred 



3 Pri-vernum, in Latium, now Piperno ; 

 Cla-vernia, in Umbria, now Chiaserna ; 

 Pri-fernum, in the Sabine territory ; 

 Ti-fernum, in Umbria, on the Metaurus ; 

 Ti-fernum, in Umbria, on the Tiber ; 

 Ti-fernum, in Samnium ; 



Ti-fernus, the adjacent river, now Biferno ; 

 Ti-fernus, the adjacent mountain. 

 Gwery-dre. The root appears to be Gwyr Viri, warriors, 



1 See Owen's Diet, under Gwenhwyson. 



2 It is curious that the hundreds so well known under the name of Chiltern, 

 were in the Saxon period written " Clitern." The word is " Clud-wern,'" warm- 

 wood. 



5 From these examples we see that the Cumrian Gw, of the radical word Gwern, 

 became V, as in Privernum, F, as in Prifernum, or totally disappeared, as in Ater- 

 nura, Priv-wern means primitive or chief wood, Ti-fernum Ty-wern, wood house. 



