An essay towards illustrating the ancient history of the Britannic Isles containing an explanation of the names Belgæ, Scythæ, Celtæ, Brittanni, Albanich, Erinnich, Caledonii, Siluri, &c., &c. : Intended as a preface to a work entitled, A vindication of the ancient history of Ireland / By C.V. [ie. Charles Vallancey].

Charles Vallancey

Date:: 1786

Credit: An essay towards illustrating the ancient history of the Britannic Isles containing an explanation of the names Belgæ, Scythæ, Celtæ, Brittanni, Albanich, Erinnich, Caledonii, Siluri, &c., &c. : Intended as a preface to a work entitled, A vindication of the ancient history of Ireland / By C.V. [ie. Charles Vallancey]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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$[ *7 ] Skeid, Lang baat ella Skuta, Navis longa. Ibid. Skald* Skana, Skuta, rodarferior (Verelius. Lex.). In mo- numentis Anglo-Saxonicis Navigii genus nominatur Sceithy appellatum, fed quod hoc pertinere, non au- tumavero (Ihre). Sceith a <txu'to?, Corium ut navigia ccrio indudta (Junius), In like manner, the words fignifying a hide, do alfo fignify a boat, as o-xvdou, Coriarii; <rKv9o7rcAi£, Coriarii Urbs, Scythopolis. In Irifh, Bolgh, Bolo, a hide from bolgh tegere, whence ])h2 Bolun, a hide; and this word gave name to the Belgi or Scythians, on the Cafpian Sea, and to the river Bolga or Volga, becaufe inhabited by thele Scythians, who palled wellward; whence Phlugh in the Armenian, Flak Arabice; and Filuka, in Italian, a Ihip. Gr. B. (3mAkt}3 Navis, Scapha f • ’ ' Coth, * The Celts or Gomerites, and the Scythians or Magogians, were both named Bolgi or Belgae, from the invention and ufe of the boat or fnip covered with Hides. Why may not the Keltoi ©r Celts have derived their name from another invention in boat-building, that is, from the Phoenician or Hebrew Kala Ets r H/p Kala..lignifies, aiTare, torrefacere, and*(y Ets a tree. Kali et N Kalia, tolium, whence the Latin Culina, and non a colerido igne, ut ait Varro. (TomaiTin. Gloif. Hebr). From the Oriental Kala, this learned Etymologift derives K«Aov, Lig¬ num. XaAtAp, Chalybes, ferrum, icilicet ignitnm; et Xikatiiov* Chalandium, Navicula ad incendenda omnes alias, hinc Chalan- nus, Calarvms, Media Lat. dittos, Gallice Challan, bateau cbaU lan. A nPp Kala eft Saxon, Cade Angl. Keel, Gall. Quille, Hifp. Quilla. Forfanet hinc Chaloupe, Navis minor (TomaiTin),. If then the Greeks adopted the Scythian and Oriental word i. e. Navis from Bolg, a boat covered with hide, whence Belgae; by the fame argument, they might have given the name Keltoi to the fame maritime people, who we know did alfo con- ltru& boats, by burning the tree hollow by lire, Which ope- ration would be named by the Orientalills \‘rnpp Kalah-ets, and by the Greeks might have been corrupted to Keltoi i. e. tree- burners, for making boats, in the fame manner they formed KatXov Lignum ; yet I mull own, that Kalon is in my opinion formed of the Scythian Kcilt; Arbor; and not from Kala, ardere. So in the ‘ Suio*$

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