Jane Williams writes:
> --- Roderick and Ellen Robertson
> <rjremr_at_...> wrote:
>
>
> > > Why are there three (more?) Avon Rivers in the UK?
>
> More. Lots, lots more.
>
> "Avon" is a Welsh (and generic Celtic, if you vary the
> spelling a bit) word meaning "river". So the invading Saxons,
> Vikings, or whoever asked the locals what that river was
> called, and, not speaking the local lingo, ended up with a
> River Avon. And a Bredon Hill (that's hill-hill Hill). I don't
> *know* of anywhere in Britain called "your finger you fool",
> but it's probably out there somewhere :)
A similar phenomenon happened here in the New World when the
Europeans first started interacting with the (sometimes very
cheeky) Amerindians living here at the time.
I.e. 'Toronto' from 'tkaronto' meaning "place where there are
trees standing in the water" or "last bloody place you'd want to
build a village".
Also, 'Winnipeg' from 'winnipi' meaning "dirty water" (also, see
translations for 'tkaronto'...)
--
Viktor Haag : Software & Information Design : Research In Motion
+--+
"Stupid, stupid rat creatures!"