Ibernio
Attested: Ibernio at position 37 of the Ravenna Cosmography
Where: The Roman camp at ST85491080 inside the native hill-fort at Hod Hill, Dorset, between the river Stour and its tributary the Iwerne, which preserves the name. Ptolemy's Δουνιον was probably not Hod Hill.
Name origin: Latin hiberno ‘to pass the winter’, which Vespasian's troops did at places such as Hod Hill for several years after the Roman invasion. This suggestion outranks a link with Iberia, a name of uncertain origin, possibly from a non-Indo-European name for the river Ebro.
Notes: There is an interesting parallel in Ptolemy's tribe Ιουερνοι or Ιουβερνοι, around a Ιουερνις or Ιοερνις πολις and a Ιερνου river mouth, around Cork in southern Ireland, an area with a mild climate suitable for early traders from the Mediterranean to over-winter.
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Last edited 14 March 2024 To main Menu