Alabum
Attested: Alabum at position 55 in the Ravenna Cosmography
Where: Probably Pen-y-Darren Roman fort at SO050067 in Merthyr Tydfil, overlooking the river Taff.
Name origin: Initial *al- is common in early river names, notably Alauna, with no certain translation. One possibility is ‘nourishing’, but ‘fish’ may be better because of words like eel, possibly related to PIE *albho- ‘white’. If the second element was just like PIE *ap- ‘water’, that would make Alabum ‘eel water’.
Notes: The river Taff used to be famous for its eels.
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Last edited 16 February 2023 To main Menu