Onna
Attested: Onna at position 40 in the Ravenna Cosmography
Where: Mottisfont, Hampshire where a historic spring at SU3265326879 still flows in the grounds of a medieval abbey. This lies 4 km south of where a well-characterized
Roman road crossed the river Test, at Horsebridge, SU339305. Located by the Cosmography listing Onna between Noviomagno (probably Old Sarum) and Venta velgarom (near Winchester).
Name origin: Endlicher's Glossary explained “Gaulish” onno as Latin flumen ‘river’, which has prompted discussion of a possible origin from PIE *(s)nau- ‘to flow’ and links with Latin unda ‘wave’ and with ancient river names ending in -na.
Notes:: Possibly there was another noteworthy spring near Horsebridge, or there was a roadside rest stop there that took its name from Mottisfont, or the Cosmography's place grew important some distance off the Roman road. Note also Onno near Hadrian's Wall.
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Last edited 27 September 2023; To main Menu.