CC BY
26Происхождение названия Британия и топонимическая модель Северной Европы
Либина Рената Борисовна,
кандидат исторических наук, доцент, доцент кафедры иностранных языков, кафедра иностранных языков, Санкт-Петербургский государственный университет аэрокосмического приборостроения, [email protected]
В статье рассматривается возникновение топонима Британия. Сравниваются кельтская и финикийская версии, трактующие данный топоним как «страну раскрашенных» или «страну олова». Исходя из возможных этимологий стран Северо-западной Европы: Англия - «страна рыбаков», Финляндия - «страна охотников» и Русь - «страна мореходов», можно предположить сходный семантический путь формирования названий североевропейских стран. Такого рода топонимы отражали характерные занятия жителей. В таком случае этимология Британии как «страны олова» представляется более вероятной, поскольку она соответствует античной традиции называть североевропейские территории по особенностям их хозяйства. Ключевые слова: Название Британия, происхождение названия Британия, название Англия
What is the origin of the name Britain?
For the first time the prototype for the word Britain occurred in the form of npenavirf in the IVth BC in the island description by Pytheas of Massalia, a Greek explorer and geographer [4, 62; 13, 2].
A number of versions have been put forward since, yet there is no commonly accepted etymology. Meanwhile, there are two most frequently given explanations how the toponym derived.
The first version was coined in the beginning of the 17th century by the English historian William Camden [3, 6]. He suggested Britain to have derived_from the Celtic root brith - "coloured", "dyed", associating the name with the ancient Celtic tradition of dying themselves blue. The custom was reported by Caesar, Mela and Plyny. Besides, the Roman name for the inhabitants of Northern Britain was the picts, probably meaning "pictured". The version is also supported with the fact that the word Prydein_- "beautiful" exists in the modern western Celtic languages [12,34]. Thus, the name Britain may be interpreted as "the country of painted" [4,4].
The other idea for the origin of Britain was suggested in the 17th century by the French philologist Samuel Bo-chart [2,4]. He considered Britain to have derived from the Phoenician collocation barat anak - "the land of tin" [11,126]. In the II-I Millenniums BC the Phoenician merchants from Northern Africa probably reached the southern British coast for getting tin [15,25]. This metal, alongside copper, compounds bronze alley. However, unlike copper, tin is a rare metal. Tin was extracted in South West Britain, on the peninsula of Cornwell, by the local Celts. The ancient authors (Hdt. 3, 115; Plin. 34, 16, 47; Strab. 2, 120; Mela 3, 6, 2) told about Kaoornpideq (Kasseterides nesoy) - "tin islands" , where the Phoenicians received tin. Greek Kasseterides may be the kalk from the Phoenician barat anak - "land of tin". [6, 168; 8, 143].
So, "the land of painted" or "the land of tin? Both versions are usually proved with the peculiarities of life-style, accustomed among the ancient archipelago inhabitants.
Let's look at the problem, comparing the possible origin of Britain with the name formation of the other North European countries. At least four of them seem to have names semantically similar in their etymology. They go back to the inhabitants' economical occupations. Those names might have had a common pat-
o о и n m 5 m
О m n m й А
X £ m О
x О m
О DI n А ы о и А X X m
tern for their emergence. They form a trend within which the name Britain may be considered.
The first toponym of this kind is Finland, called Su-omi by its authentic inhabitants.
Finland, common among foreignors, originated from the Germanic languages, going back to the tribes of Fennoi, described by Tacitus (Herm, 46). He depicted Fennoi as hunters, roaming about the plain in the search of food and unable to construct permanent homes. The name Finland is considered to derive from the old Germanic root fin - «find», «hunt» and may be translated as the "country of finders" or "the country of hunters" [1, 55].
The other toponym within the trend is the medieval name of Russia, Rus'. The most accepted current version tells Rus' to be the derivation of the old scan-denevian ruotsi, meaning "rowers", "sailors". Firstly it was the name of the Vikings, Scandinavian sailors, traders and raiders, who used to sail along the rivers of future Russia. The Vikings were engaged in organizing state on the relevant area, and eventually Rus' from the term for the Vikings' squad became the name for the territory, controlled by them. Being firstly the notion of the social group, Rus' turned into the country name, which might be translated "the country of sailors" [Mel'nicova, Petruhin, p.29-38; 14, 297-298].
The third name of this kind is England. The word derived from the authentic name of the Germanic-speaking tribes of Angles, partly leaving for the British archipelago from the Jutland peninsula, the further territory of Denmark, in the V-VI AD. The word Angles itself goes back to the Indo-European root ang -meaning "bend, crook, hook" [5, Angle, angle]. The shallow waters of the Northern Sea, surrounding both Jutland and the British archipelago enabled a splendid environment for fishing, which was one of the main Angles' industries, whereas hooks were the ordinary items. Still the modern English verb to angle means "to fish with a hook"[10, angle - v2]. So, the word Angles can be translated as fishermen, and England literally the land of fishermen.
Thus, etymologies are probable: England - "the land of fishmermenn", Finland - "the land of hunters" and Rus' - "the land of sailors". The name formation of these countries can be suggested to have a single semantic model, reflecting the specific inhabitants' occupations, the prominent features of their economic activity. Just those features had given the distinction criteria for the probable non-authentic speakers and authors, who might have primary named the North European areas. If the semantic coincidence between the toponyms England, Finland and Rus' isn't accidental, it may support the Phoenician version of the Britain etymology. Translating Britain as the "land of
tin" matches the tradition to name the North European territories according to their inhabitants' occupations. The ancient Oecumene was supplied with tin by the western Celts. For the whole ancient Mediterranean their isles were first of all "Tin Isles". This land could have received an appropriate name, noting its role in the international trade. Moreover, the case could have become the sample for the future occurrences for the country names formation in the North-Western region of Europe.
The etymology of Britain within the North European toponymi-
cal model Libina R.B.
Saint-Petersburg State University of Aerospace Instrumentation The article considers the origin of the toponym Britain, comparing the Celtic and the Phoenician versions, which interpret Britain as "the land of painted" and "the land of tin" relatively. Taking into account the possible etymologies of the Northwestern European countries, England - "the land of fishermen", "Finland" -"the land of hunters", and "Rus'" - "the land of sailors", the similar semantic way of Northwestern European countries names formation may be suggested. That region countries toponyms may have reflected the specific occupations of their inhabitants. In that case, the etymology of Britain as "the tin land" looks more probable within the antique tradition to name the outlying areas according to their dwellers' economic activity. Keywords: Britain etymology, Britain name origin, England etymology, England name origin
References
1. Ageeva R. Strani I Narodi: proishogdenije nazvanij, M., 1990
2. Bosworth J. The Elements of Anglo-Saxon Grammar, L., 1823
3. Camden Britannia, The name of Britainae //www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/
- Hughes J. Horae Britannicae: Or, Studies in Ancient British History, L., 1818, vol. 1 16 век
4. Cunliffe B. Britain begins, Oxford, 2013
5. Hoad Т. The concise dictionary of English etymology, Oxford,
1996
6. Hodum R. Pilgrims' Step, Bloomington, 2012
7. Lars I., Bj0rnar O. Hunters in Transition: An Outline of Early Sami
Hisroty, Leiden - Boston, Brill, 2014, p. 36 Тацит использовал портреты разных культур, чтобы покаритиковать о, что ему представлялось упадком в средиземноморской культур He describes Fenni as having no horses
8. Lemon G. English Etymology: Or, a Derivative Dictionary of the
English Languag? L.? 1883 Barat- anac - the land of tin, p. 143
9. Melnikova E., Petruhin V. Nazvanije Rus' v etnokul'turnoy istorijy
Drvnerusskogo gosudarstva (IX-X vv.), - Voprosi istorii, 1989, №8, p.24-38
10. Merriam-webster.com
11. Percy Th. Cambro-Britain and General Celtic Repository, vol.2
12. Rhys J. Celtic Folclore: Welsh and Manh, vol.1
13. Roseman C. Pytheas of Massilia: On the ocean: Text, translation and commentary, Chicago, 1994
14. Stayny H. The Naming of Russia Oslo, Meddelelser, 1996
15. Tylor J. Albion: The еarliest history, Dublin, 2016 - p 25 -Страбон первым из античных авторов упомянул какой-либо экспорт, кроме олова
0
(Ч
ее
01 Z
