Etymology
In common with the various other examples of Avon, the river takes its name from the Gaelic abhainn meaning 'river' or 'stream'. The word, in common with the Welsh afon, is thought to originate from an early Indo-European root ab or aub. The implications of this (and other) waterways being called simply ' River' may be an indicator of ancient beliefs or superstitions. It is known that the ancient inhabitants of north-western Europe venerated wet or watery places, including rivers (as attested by both literary and archaeological evidence, e.g. ritual deposition in rivers or bogs). It is possible that particularly sacred rivers became commonly known simply as ' river' or ' water', because their 'real' names were sacred and pronouncing them was 'dangerous', or ritually unacceptable (cf. 'taking the name of the Lord in vain' in the Judaeo-Christian tradition).
Coordinates: 57°24′53″N 3°22′31″W / 57.41468°N 3.37537°W / 57.41468; -3.37537
Read more about this topic: River Avon (Strathspey)
Famous quotes containing the word etymology:
“The universal principle of etymology in all languages: words are carried over from bodies and from the properties of bodies to express the things of the mind and spirit. The order of ideas must follow the order of things.”
—Giambattista Vico (1688–1744)
“Semantically, taste is rich and confusing, its etymology as odd and interesting as that of “style.” But while style—deriving from the stylus or pointed rod which Roman scribes used to make marks on wax tablets—suggests activity, taste is more passive.... Etymologically, the word we use derives from the Old French, meaning touch or feel, a sense that is preserved in the current Italian word for a keyboard, tastiera.”
—Stephen Bayley, British historian, art critic. “Taste: The Story of an Idea,” Taste: The Secret Meaning of Things, Random House (1991)