Brocara
Attested: Brocara at position 156 in the Ravenna Cosmography
Where: Lockerbie, near a cluster of Roman sites: a fort at Ladyward, NY 113382085; and marching camps
at Torwood at NY122820, Applegarth at NY103838, and Lochmaben at NY092823.
Name Origin: An element Broc- has many possible meanings, but the best parallel is Old English bróc ‘brook, stream’, which does not have an agreed PIE root but has plenty of Germanic cognates, which tend to mean ‘marsh’, as seen at ancient Brocavum (Brougham) and Brocomagus (Brumath, Alsace). Its second element fits PIE *ar- ‘to fit together’, which fits this multi-confluence, marshy area, where the river Annan is joined by Dryfe Water, Kinnel Water, Corrie Water, Water of Milk, and many other streams.
Notes: This was a hard name to pin down, because so many Roman sites were at confluences, and there are plenty to choose from in SW Scotland. The key to finding it is recognizing the order in which the Cosmographer was reading names off his source. See here for a discussion of all Roman names in this area north of the Solway.
You may copy this text freely, provided you acknowledge its source as www.romaneranames.uk, recognise that it is liable to human error, and try to offer suggestions for improvement.
Last edited 30 May 2023 to main Menu