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* forum du site Marikavel : Academia Celtica 

Maastricht, Maëstricht : ville des Pays-Bas; capitale de la province du Limbourg néerlandais, sur la Meuse. Église St Servaaskerk / St Servais

Histoire : la ville doit son origine à un pont fortifié romain sur la Meuse, sur la grande voie de Bavay à Cologne.

En 382, Saint Servais y transfère l'évêché de Tongres. En 722, Saint Hubert transfère à nouveau le siège à Liège.

Archéologie :

Basilique Notre Dame, qui correspond à l'ancienne cathédrale datée d'avant l'An 1000, et bâtie elle-même sur l'emplacement d'un temple romain.

Évêché : créé en 382 par Saint Servais. Basilique sous le vocable de Notre-Dame.

Évêques de Maastricht : en attente.

Étymologie : Trajectum ad Mosam / Mosae Trajectum = endroit de traversée de la Meuse.

Machen : mines de plomb.

* Rivet & Smith, p 405 : 

SOURCE

-  Ravenna, 106,29 : MACATONION ?

DERIVATION. R&C propose to emend this to *Magalonion, reasonably enough (with c for g by scribal confusion, as often; although Mac- may accurately represent the same root, as in Hispanic personal names Macilo / Magilo, ELH I. 359, and Macalu, a divine name in a graffito of Seraucourt (Bourges, France : DAG 354). This *Magalonium they then derive from a river-name *Magalona, which with British *-io- derivational suffix gives for the whole name a sense 'place on the noble river'. Their base is an Indo-European root *mak- 'to grow' (Holder II. 362), from which Welsh magu and Breton maga 'to feed' ultimately come, as do Latin magnus and Greek megalos. Among place-names closely related are then British Maglona and its précise equivalent Magalona > Maguelonne (Hérault, France), Magalonnum > Moulons (Charente-Maritime, France). The origin of many personal names related to these lies in *maglo-s, perhaps 'great one', from which derive Old Irish mal, Welsh and Breton mael 'prince', present in such ancient names as Magalos, Magilos, Magilius; in Britain, Brigomaglos on a subRoman tombstone at Chesterholm (RIB 1722). Based on the mag- root are the divine name Magusanus, associated with Hercules in a dedication at Mumrills, Stirlingshire (RIB 2140); also DAG 943 (many) ; and the Gaulish place-name Magdunum > Méhun-sur-Yèvre (Cher, France) and Meung-sur-Loire (Loiret, France), together with British Magantia, Magiovinium and perhaps Maia.

Whether R&C's speculation about *Magalona river is warranted can be judged from the Continental analogues, for which no such supposition has to be made; and from the fact that no modem river-namc derives from this. It seems simplest to see the name as built on *magal- with suffixes *-on- io-, as in CANONIUM; and as meaning 'high, outstanding place' or the like, possibly 'noble place'.

It might turn out that Ravenna's Macat- is right after all. A name Macato (reading of the first a being doubtful) is recorded in CIL XIII 5806 (Langres), and other names, mostly personal, are known with Mac(c)-; see GPN 364-65.

IDENTIFICATION. Unknown, but apparently not far from Gloucester.

---------------

* Rivet & Smith, p 406 : "Unknown, but apparently an island of Britain".

SOURCE 

- Ravenna, 109,18 : MAGANTIA, variante MAGANTIA. 

DERIVATION

The name is evidently based on *mag-, for which see the previous entry, with Celto-Latin suffix. The sense might be 'large island' or 'high, outstanding place'. It is worth noting that the Celto-Roman name of Mainz (Germany), properly Mogontiacum, was in the redued form of late Imperial times Moguntia, often spelled Magontia, Magentia, Magantia; the mog- root is the same ultimately as mag-, and in that form is the base of the divine name Mogons (the dative, in dedications, is Deo Mogonti). Since the cult of this god seems to have been fundamentally Germanic, and was brought from the middle Rhine by the Vangiones who garrisoned Risingham (thence extending it in the area of Hadrian's Wall), it seems unlikely that a Celtic cult of a similary named deity could have given its name independently to a Scottish island (the present Magantia) as R&C alternatively propose. 

IDENTIFICATION. Unknown, but apparently an island off Britain.

-----------------

*Magiovinium : station britto-romaine : Dropshort, en Little Brickhill; Angleterre; Buchinghamshire.

*Magis : station britto-romaine, non identifiée, en GB. Piercebridge, Angleterre; Durham ? ; ou Old Carlisle, ou Burrow Walls; Workington, Cumberland ? 

* Rivet & Smith, p. 496-407 : 

SOURCES

- Inscription : RIB 899, an altar set up to Jupiter and Vulcan at Old Carlisle for the welfare of Gordian (A.D. 238 - 44) by the VIK(ANI) MAG(. . . )

- ND XL14 (pictura) : MAGIS

- ND XL29 (text) : Praefectus numeri Pacensium, MAGIS

Concerning the inscription, M. W. C. Hassall in Aspects of the ND (Oxford, 1976), III, writes that "One of these sites [Maglone and Magis of ND] must surely be Old Carlisle, which lies west of Kirkby Thore [i.e. te previous fort listed in ND, Bravoniacum] and from which comes an altar RIB 899 set up. . . by the Vik(anï) Mag(lonenses) or Mag(enses). The dedicators are usually interpreted as being Vik(anorum) Mag(istri); but against this interpretation and in favour of our own, it can be argued, first, that, normally, magistri would precede vicanorum (though vicomagistri as masters of wards are attested in the Notitia Urbis Constantinopolitanae)', secondly, magistri of vici are rare in the western provinces, the officials most commonly mentioned on inscriptions being curatores. .. ; thirdly, such semi-official dedications are normally made by the vicani themselves, and they usually qualify themselves by a geographical epithet (e.g. the Vicani Vindolandesses of te Vindolanda inscription).'

DERIVATION. The name is the fossilised Latin locative plural (see ANICETIS) of a name formed on British *magos, for which see CAESAROMAGUS. The sense then seems to be 'at the plains'.

IDENTIFICATION. Hassall's argument may be supplemented by the observation that the traditional identification of Old Carlisle with ND's Olenacum (q.v.) presumes a very odd order in the list. Since we have removed this, it may tentatively be suggested that Maglona is Old Carlisle and that Magis is thé Roman fort at Burrow Walls, Workington, Cumberland (NY 0030), from which we have also removed the name Gabrosentum (q.v.).

Note. Seeck's équation of Magis with the Maio, Maia of Ravenna, made in his 1876 édition of ND, is erroneous. It was taken up by Holder II. 375, who added mention of a Magia in Raetia, > Maienfeld (Switzerland) between Chur and Bregenz; this Magia of TP is also in CIL v. 5090 the. . . stat(ionis) Maiens(is), so that a phonetic development of Magia to Maiens(is) could from this be taken to apply also to the equivalence of British Magis with Maio, etc. However, as Jackson in LHEB 444 makes plain, such a development in British did not occur until after the Roman period; while Continental Magia is a precise analogy for British Magis, it offers no support for the equivalence of Magis / Maia in Britain. Moreover, ND lists Magis in the middle of a section offerts in Yorkshire, Durham and eastern Westmorland, and has not yet gone over to the Cumbrian coast where Maia lay.

*Maglona : forteresse romaine dont l'identification est discutée : 

* Ordnance Survey : Greta Bridge; Angleterre; Yorkshire.

* Rivet & Smith : Old Carlisle, Cumberland.

SOURCES.

- Inscription : RIB 899, which may belong here : see MAGIS 

- ND XL₁₃ (pictura) : MAGLOUE
- ND XL₂₈ (text) : Praefectus numeri Solensium, MAGLONE (var. MAGLOUE)

ND's forms with u have a common copying fault of u for n. Final -e may simply be -a miscopied, or a first-declension locative.

DERIVATION. Maglona belongs with the names listed under *Magalonium, based on the root *mag-. Gaulish Magalona > Maguelonne (Hérault, France) is an exact equivalent of the British name, which has lost the unstressed vowel by elision. A similar sense, 'high, out-standing place', perhaps 'noble place', is appropriate.

IDENTIFICATION. Probably the Roman fort at Old Carlisle, Cumberland (NY 2646).

*Magnis : station britto-romaine : Kenchester; Angleterre; Herefordshire.

*Magnis : forteresse romaine du Mur d'Hadrien : Carvoran ?; Angleterre; Northumberland.

* Rivet & Smith, p 408 : 

SOURCE

* Ptolemy, II,3,3 : Megas Limen (= MAGNUS PORTUS)

* Ptolemy, II,3,4 : Ypo de ton Megan Limeva nesos Ouektis (= infra MAGNUM autem PORTUM insula Vectis)

DERIVATION. This is a descriptive Latin name, 'great harbour'; compare GABRANTOVICUM SINUS. There was a Portos Magnos (= Portus Magnus) in Spain, recorded by Ptolemy II, 4, 7, now Almeria. It is to be remarked that whereas Ptolemy translates the British name into Greek, perhaps showing that the name was descriptive rather than that of an established location, he simply transliterates the Hispanic équivalent into Greek as was his practice with most recognised place-names.

IDENTIFICATION. As is argued on p. 116, this is not a place-name properly speaking, but a description of the whole sheltered area between the Isle of Wight and the mainland — including the Solent and Southampton Water.

>>>  il ne s'agit pas d'un nom de lieu précis, mais d'un nom de lieu global, couvrant un secteur compris entre l'Ile de Wight, le Solent et la Southampton Water.

*Magodunum : site non identifié formellement.

- Robert Soulignac, Calètes, p 22 : "Medan (Bernières) viendrait de Magodunum ?"

- JCE : recherche provisoire : Mahon :

- Fort Mahon, à Ambleteuse, à l'embouchure de la Slack;

- Fort Mahon, près de Sangatte.

* Maia / Maium : forteresse romaine à l'ouest du Mur d'Hadrien : Bowness-on-Solway; Angleterre; Cumberland.

Maiden Castle : voir Dorchester.

* Maïnaké : Ferdinand LALLEMAND, Journal de bord de Pytheas, Glossaire, p 254 : "colonie phocéenne et ensuite massaliète de la côte méridionale de l'Espagne. On pourrait la localiser, selon Martin Almagro, à Torre del Mar, près de Malaga".

Malahide Bay : baie située au nord de Dublin; le nom ancien était Inber Domnan : la baie des Dumnonii.

* Malaia / Malaius Insula : l'île de Mull, en Écosse.

Malton : Angleterre; Yorkshire. L'ancienne station romaine DERVENTIO, en protection sud-est de York sur la Mer du Nord.

* Mamucium : station britto-romaine : Manchester; Angleterre; Lancashire. 

Mancetter : 

Manchester : ville d'Angleterre, comté de Lancashire. Autrefois forteresse romaine Mamucium. Notée pour êtte un site de mines de charbon

Manduessedum : station britto-romaine : Mancetter, en Witherley; Angleterre; Leicestershire.

Mansio : 

Mantes-la-Jolie, autrefois Mantes-Gassicourt : (78200) chef-lieu d'arrondissement des Yvelines, sur la Seine. Étymologie : Medunta (J.W Lake).

Manwydd : 

SOURCE.

- Ravenna, 107,34 : MAPORITON.

DERIVATION. The name is built on British *mapo- 'boy, youth; son' (see LOCUS MAPONI) and *ritu- 'ford' (see ANDERITUM); hence 'the young man's ford' or 'son's ford'. The name is evidently that of a place paired with TADORITUM, adjacent to it and so listed in Ravenna; the allusion is lost to us, but if taken literally presumably relates to fords established by, or near land owned by, different generations of a family; but there could be some folkloric reference, or a metaphorical allusion to the size of the stream at these points. See J. Schnetz in ZONF, II (1926-27), 231, and in (1927-28), 123. Dillemann (p. 69) challenges the above, thinking both Maporitum and Tadoritum a mistaken doublet which proceeds from Carbantoritum in a complex series of copying errors; but there seems to be no reason to disturb the accepted forms and etymology of these paired names; it is unlikely that such a meaningful pair would have arisen by copying accidents.

IDENTIFICATION. Unknown, but apparently in southern Scotland; in view of the pairing of names noted above it may be wrong to associate this name with Maponus, the 'divine youth' often identified with Apollo and much worshipped in the area of Hadrian's Wall (see Ross (1967), 368—70, with distribution map).

-------------------

Explication étymologique : un gué sous le vocable de *mapo (garçon, jeune; fils).

* Rivet & Smith, p. 412-413 : 

SOURCE.

- Ravenna, 108₁₂ : MARCOTAXON.

DERIVATION

The first element is British *marco (or according to Whatmough * marca, with -a masculine as in druida, etc. : DAG 574), meaning 'horse', from which derive Welsh march, Breton marc'h, with cognates in Old Irish marc, Old High German marh and English mare, etc. (Holder II. 419). Watson in CPNS 441 cites the same word in Welsh Marchnant 'horse-brook' and Gaelic Marcaidh 'horse-stream', which occurs several times in Scotland. Ancient names in which this element appears are Marcodurum > Düren (Germany) and Marcomagus > Marmagen (between Cologne and Trier, Germany), and the personal name Marcomaro (Holder II. 422); in Germania Magna was the tribe Markomnoi (= Marcomani : Ptolemy II, I I, I I, etc.). See also H. Birkhan, Germanen und Kelten , . .(Vienna, 1970), 393-416. The second element is identified by Holder II, 1778 with that found in Old Irish tais 'soft, gentle', but it seems better for the sense to follow Williams (now Pokorny 1055) in identifying a root *tag-, found in Greek tagew, tassw, taxis 'to rule, order, array', present in the names of Taximagulus who ruled part of Kent (Caesar) and Tasciovanus, father of Cunobelinus; also in the place-name Tasinemetum in Noricum (a site near Villach). The sense of the British name is thus 'horse-array', 'with evident reference to a historical or legendary event' (R&C); but it might be more mundanely an assembly-point for cavalry, or a horse-trading fair.

IDENTIFICATION. Unknown, but apparently in Scotland north of the Antonine Wall.

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Commentaire JCE : C'est à dire, selon Rivet & Smith : soit un camp de cavalerie, soit un lieu de foire de chevaux.

Mareuil-Caubert : (80132) commune de la Somme, arrondissement d'Abbeville, canton d'Abbeville-sud, sur la rive gauche (sud) de la Somme. (IGN : 2207-O)

Histoire et archéologie :

Au sommet de la butte, faisant face à Abbeville, côté ouest de la Somme, ancien oppidum dit Camp-de-César, ou Castelis.

Etymologies :

a) Mareuil : Dauzat : Marolum, 1105, du gaulois maros = grand, et ialo = champ, clairière.

b) Caubert : voir ce nom.

Margidunum : station britto-romaine : Castle Hill, en Bridgford; Angleterre; Nottinghamshire.

Archéologie : poteries.

 Maritza : nom de rivière d'Europe danubienne.

 Marquenterre : A l'origine, pays situé entre la Maye et l'Authie, la banlieue de Rue, le fief de Villers et la mer. Il avait pour chef-lieu : Quend (voir ce nom). Le nom de Marquenterre s'est ensuite élargi à l'ensemble de la plaine maritime de la baie de Somme.

Etymologie : Mariskieneterre, 1199; Marisquineterre, 1378 & 1413; Maresquienterre, 1498; Marisquinterre, 1559; Marquenterre, 1582 & 1764;

formes latines : Marina Terra, 1217; Mareskina terra, 1224; Maresquen terra, 1225 (Garnier); Maris quentii terra (Prarond).

JCE : signification discutée.

Marseille ( Massalia / Massilia ) : France; Provence.

Marseille-en-Beauvaisis (Marsaelia supra stratam) : (60690) commune et chef-lieu de canton de l'Oise, arrondissement de Beauvais, sur le Therain. (IGN : 2210-E & 2210-O).

Histoire et archéologie : Marseille se trouve sur la grande voie romaine de Beauvais au Tréport et à Saint-Valéry-sur-Somme. Elle a constitué un point de péage pour les Chasse-marées. (L.Fontaine-Bayer, Chasse-marée de Picardie, p 90)

Étymologie : Marseliae supra stratam, XIIè siècle : Marseille sur la Chaussée (romaine).

- A. Longnon : au féminin le gentilice Marcellia.

- DR : Marseliae, 1120 : de Marcellia (villa)

* Rivet & Smith, p. 414 :

SOURCE
- Ravenna 106₅ (= R&C 21) : MASONA

DERIVATION. It is unwise to found much on a form known from Ravenna alone, since the text is often corrupt. If taken literally, the name may have an element mas- which occurs in a number of Celtic names but whose meaning is not known. Dottin LG 270 gives the Gaulish form as *massa and cites Irish mass ' beau' as perhaps equivalent. Massava of TP is now Mesves-sur-Loire (Nièvre, France). RIB 577, a building-stone from Manchester, records work donc by the century of Masavo, who according to RIB's note was perhaps German. The suffix -ona indicates a river or stream (see ABONA).

IDENTIFICATION. Unknown, but apparently in south-west Britain.

>>> Signification incertaine. Peut-être, selon Rivet & Smith, p 414 : *massa = beau + *ona = rivière ?! Non identifié, mais apparemment dans le sud-ouest de la G. Bretagne.

*Massalia : nom grec de Marseille (en latin : Massilia)

*Massilia : nom latin de Marseille (en grec : Massalia)

Mastrabalé, ou Mestramalé : Ferdinand Lallemand, Journal de bord de Pythés de Marseille , p 254 : "ville celto-ligure dont l'emplacement pourrait se situer au-dessus de l'actuel Calissane, sur les bords de l'étang de Berre. De très importants vestiges de remparts sont encore visible".

* Rivet & Smith, p. 414 :

SOURCE

- Ravenna 107₅₈ (= R&C 202) : MAULION

- Ravenna 108₃ (=R&C 207) : MATOVION

It seems likely that as often Ravenna has duplicated a name by following two map-sources. Maulion suggests no Celtic root and seems corrupt, but its -u- may indicate a form *Matu- which is then equally valid with Mato- (see below).

DERIVATION. *Matu- is 'bear' in Celtic (Irish math 'bear', and Mathu, a deity; Welsh madawg 'fox'). It is the root of many personal and place-names, for which see Holder II. 479 and GPN 228-32. Among personal names are Matuus, Matua, Matugenos, Toutomatus. Matunus the 'bear-god' had a shrine at Risingham. The closest parallel among place-names is provided by Matavonium of AI 298₂, now Cabasse (Var, France); this is Matavone in TP, but Pataum and Patavi in Ravenna, which give an idea of thedegree of corruption of which this text is capable. The British name may have *-ouio- suffixes (as in CANOVIUM); 'bear-place' seems a possible meaning, whether in a figurative or a literal sense. A personal name *Matuuos with *-io- derivational suffix and formation exactly as in Burrium and other names, 'place of *Matuuos', may be safer; this personal name being that recorded in Latin sources as Matuus, as above.

IDENTIFICATION. Unknown, but apparently in Scotland north of the Antonine Wall; for a very nasty reference to the use of a Caledonian bear in Titus's amphitheatre see Martial, De Spectaculis vii.

------------------

Recherche étymologique à partir de la racine celtique *matu- = ours. Non identifié, mais apparemment en Écosse, au nord du Mur d'Antonin.

Maye : petit fleuve côtier de l'Ambianie, qui prend sa source à Fontaine-sur-Maye, et qui rejoint la baie de Somme au sud du Marquenterre, à 4 km au nord du Crotoy, après un parcours de 22 km environ. Il arrose Crécy-en-Ponthieu, Mesoutre, Bernay-en-Ponthieu, Arry, et Rue.

- A. Leduque, Ambianie, p 52 : "... Maïa, la Mater Magna ou Terra Mater, semble être à l'origine de nom de la rivière La Maie, et de l'ancienne abbaye de Maïoc, qui l'avoisine".

- JCE : voir l'étymologie Tellus = La Terre, proposée pour Talence, quartier d'Abbeville.

- JCE : en breton Mailh = boue, fumier. Peut suggérer une rivière fangeuse ou marécageuse.

Mayence / Mainz (Mogontiacum) : Ville d'Allemagne de l'ouest, capitale du lander de Rhénanie-Palatinat, au confluent du Rhin et du Main.

Histoire :

Fondée en 10 avant J-C par Claudius Nero Drusus, sur le territoire des Vangiones, sous le nom de Mogontiacum.

Capitale de la Germanie Ière et quartier général de l'armée de cette province.

Elle a d'abord reçu en garnison la Legio XIV Gemina, jusqu'en 43, puis la Legio XXII Primigenia Pia Fidelis.

Résidence du Dux Mogontiacensis à partir de Dioclètien (A.Grenier, Quatre villes romaines, p 87-88) ou Constantin (KF.Werner, les Origines, p 279).

Délivrée par Julien des Barbares qui s'en étaient emparés, en 357.

Les légions du Rhin y proclament Posthume empereur (K.F.Werner, Origines, p 245), en fin -décembre ? - 257 (M.Bouvier-Ajam, Empereurs gaulois, p 160-161).

Mayence est prise et anéantie par les Germains en 406.

Archéologie : Colonne de Jupiter, datée de 65-66 ap. J-C;

Evêché : Date et nom du fondateur inconnus. Premier évêque attesté en 346. Erigée en archevêché pour Saint Boniface le 01.05.748 par le pape Zacharie. (N. Gauthier).

Evêques de Mayence : *** ?; Martinus, attesté 346; *** ?; Sidonius ?; *** ?; Sigimundus, attersté 589;

Etymologie : Mogontiacum, Eutr, Jorn, Inscr; Mogontiaco, TP;

N. Gauthier, envoi personnalisé : félix Magantia, époque de l'évêque Sidonius.

C.O.T. 1572 : " Ments ... Moguntia, Germaniae Metroplolis, ad Rheni ripa urbs ..."

Le nom semble être un dérivé de celui de la rivière Mogontia / Main, qui rejoint le Rhin à cet endroit.

voir aussi Rivet & Smith, p 405, sous Magantia

Meare : 

* Mediobogdum : station britto-romaine : Hardknot; Angleterre; Cumberland.

a). Liste des toponymes : 

- Mediolanum Cuborum : ville des Bituriges Cubi, en Lyonnaise Ière; aujourd'hui discutée entre Château-Meillant et Meylieu.

- Mediolanum : aujourd'hui Châteaumeillant; Fr.

- Mediolanum Eburovicum : aujourd'hui Évreux, en France.

- Mediolanum : aujourd'hui Mâlain; Fr. Côte d'Or.

- Mediolanum : aujourd'hui Maulain; Fr. Haute-Marne.

- Mediolanum : aujourd'hui Meillant; Fr. Cher.

- Mediolanum : aujourd'hui Méolans; Fr. Basses-Alpes.

- Mediolanum : aujourd'hui Meslan; Bretagne. Morbihan; 

- Mediolanum : aujourd'hui Mesland; Fr. Loire et Cher.

- Mediolanum : aujourd'hui Meulan; Fr. Seine et Oise.

- Mediolanum : aujourd'hui Meulin; Fr. Saône et Loire.

- Mediolanum : aujourd'hui Meylan; Fr. Isère.

- Mediolanum : aujourd'hui Meylan; Fr. Lot et Garonne.

- Mediolanum : aujourd'hui Miélan; Fr. Gers.

- Mediolanum Insubrum : aujourd'hui Milan, en Italie.

- Mediolanum : aujourd'hui Miolan; Fr. Rhône.

- Mediolanum : aujourd'hui Miolan; Fr. Saône et Loire.

- Mediolanum : aujourd'hui Moëlain; Fr. Rhône.

- Mediolanum : aujourd'hui Moëslains; Fr. Haute Marne.

- Mediolanum : aujourd'hui Moislain; Fr. Somme.

- Mediolanum : aujourd'hui Molain; Fr. Aisne.

- Mediolanum : aujourd'hui Molain; Fr. Jura.

- Mediolanum : aujourd'hui Moliens; Fr. Oise.

- Mediolanum : aujourd'hui Mollans; Fr. Drôme.

- Mediolanum : aujourd'hui Molliens-aux-Bois; Fr. Somme.

- Mediolanum : aujourd'hui Molliens-Vidame; Fr. Somme.

- Mediolanum : aujourd'hui Montmélian; Fr. Ardennes.

- Mediolanum : aujourd'hui Montmélian; Fr. Oise.

- Mediolanum : aujourd'hui Montmélian; Fr. Savoie.

- Mediolanum : aujourd'hui Mont-Miolant; Fr. Loire.

- Mediolanum : aujourd'hui Mont-Molain; Fr. Loire.

- Mediolanum : aujourd'hui Moyland, en Belgique.

- Mediolanum Santon(r)um : aujourd'hui Saintes, en France.

- Mediolanum : aujourd'hui Saint-Nicolas; Fr. Pas-de-Calais.

- Mediolanum : aujourd'hui Whitchurch, en G. Bretagne. (voir article et lien ci-dessous)

**********

- La revendication faite par certains historiens bretons concernant la deuxième partie du nom de Kergrist-Moëlou, en Centre Bretagne Ouest, reste à démonter. 

b.) Explications étymologiques : 

 

* Auguste Longnon : Les noms de lieu de la France. Librairie Honoré Champion. 1910. réédition 1971. p 61 :  " 139. Le nom antique de Mediolanum se retrouve, on le voit, un peu partout en Gaule, sauf peut-être dans le nord-ouest, en Auvergne, en Limousin et dans le Languedoc. Que signifiait-il? Henri Martin l'a traduit par « terre sainte du milieu », lan représentant, à ses yeux, l'idée de « terre sainte » ou de « sanctuaire », le sens de « milieu », étant attaché à la première partie du nom ; et il semblait croire que chaque peuple gaulois avait un mediolanum; mais la répartition géographique des localités dont on vient de lire l'énumération ne favorise guère cette opinion : on en a compté trente-deux, et les diocèses auxquels elles appartenaient au moyen âge, sont au nombre de vingt-deux seulement, correspondant à vingt et une cités romaines ; d'où il résulte, à suivre Henri Martin dans son hypothèse, que les Ambiani auraient eu trois « terres saintes du milieu » : Moliens (Oise), Molliens-aux-Bois et Molliens-Vidante ; les Bituriges deux : Châteaumeillant et Meillant ; les Aedui trois : Meulin, Mioland et Montmeillien ; les Segusiavi trois également : Miolan, Mioland et le Mont-Miolan ; les Allobroges trois aussi : Meylan, Miolan et Montmélian ; enfin les Auscii deux : les deux Meilhan du département du Gers ; il faut remarquer, en outre, que plusieurs de ces localités n'étaient pas situées au centre des cités dont elles faisaient partie. L'interprétation proposée par Henri Martin parait donc devoir être rejetée".

*****

* A.L.F Rivet & Colin Smith : The Place-Names of roman Britain. B.T Batsford Ltd. 1979. p 415-416.  sous article consacré à MEDIOLANUM, identifié à Whitchurch :  Derivation : This name is very common abroad; Holder II,497 lists no fewer than forty-two Mediolanum places, the best-known being Milan, said to have been founded in 396 B.C. In GPB 215, Note 7 gives a bibliography. The name is found as far east as Moesia, in the Rhineland, and is most common in Gaul; it seems not to be known in Iberia. See also Vincent 247-48. For Medio-, see the previous name. The second element is probably British *lâno- 'plain, level ground', for which see LANUM. The present name therefore probably has a sense '(place) in the middle of the plain', perhaps preferable to 'central plain ' as suggested by Jackson in Britannia, I (1970), 77. However, there are complications. L.-F. Flutre in RIO, ix (1957), 39, draws attention to the fact that 'La situation géographique de nombreux Mediolanum, situés en plein pays montagneux et souvent juchés sur une hauteur' does not agree with the sense 'plain' usually given to the -lanum element; he proposes instead that -lanum is not ' plain ' but 'lieu consacré', basing himself on the sense of modem Breton lann; but this seems unacceptable, for this Breton word supposes an original *landa (see VIN-DOLANDA), and no early form shows a trace of this. Ellis Evans in GPN 215 points out that there may in fact be two homonymous elements subsumed in *lâno-, one cognate with Latin plenus (Irish làn 'full', Welsh llawn, Breton leun), the other cognate with planus 'flat'; while this is undoubtedly so, it remains true that the second offers the better sense in toponymy. C.-J. Guyonvarc'h returns to the question in Ogam, XIII (1961), 142-58, listing all known Mediolanum names and equating these as a category (not precisely in sense) with Medionemeton, holding that they 'ont désigné sans nul doute à l'origine un enclos ou une clairière, au moins un espace libre symbolisant le centre religieux et culturel de la peuplade' (p. 157). The second element in the Mediolanum names is for him *lano-s 'plein' (as Ellis Evans indicates it could be), but 'avec le sens connexe (mais non secondaire) de "parfait, complet"', in an especially religious connotation (for which see further Ogam, XII (1960), 532). For this it is presumably necessary to take Medio- as a noun, 'centre'. This alternative solution is here explained at length because it is obviously a serious possibility, but that put forward earlier, that *lâno- in this name is 'plain, level ground ' still seems greatly preferable. For one thing, it is very straightforward; for another, the word could well have been used to mean 'small extent of levelled ground' which would take account of those Continental Mediolanum places situated in hilly country, with Medio- then meaning 'central (to the needs of the community) '.

*****

Mediolanum : station britto-romaine : Whitchurch; Angleterre; Salopshire / Shropshire.

* Mediomanum : station britto-romaine : Caer Sws; Pays de Galles; Montgomery.

Medway : rivière d'Angleterre, dans le Kent.

Melamon : lieu cité par Ravenna, 106,2 : voir Moridunum / Sidford, Angleterre, Devon; (article en préparation)

Melandra Castle / Ardotalia : Angleterre; Derbyshire.

* Rivet & Smith, p 417 : 

SOURCE

- Ravenna, 106¹⁶ : MELEZO, variante MEIEZO

Here -z- represents -ti- with Vulgar Latin assibilation; see AQUAE ARNEMETIAE. It has been the custom to cite this name as *Meletio, third-declension nominative, but there is no justification for this. If it were so, one would expect in the source *Melezone, that is, third-declension oblique case, on a par with Cunetzone (see CUNETIO). Ravenna records only two nominatives (except for names in -a, which are in many instances probably oblique cases too), both with Latin Statio. It seems best, then, to treat Melezo as representing *Meletio, a second-declension neuter oblique case whose nominative would be *Meletium. This is further justified by the close analogue Meletum (see below).

DERIVATION. Williams favoured a British root cognate with *melisso-s 'sweet ' (Holder II 537), Old Irish milis, Welsh melys 'sweet' (compare Latin and Welsh mel 'honey'), which R&C accept, giving a sense 'honey place' or 'honey-stream place'. They cite as a semantic parallel Meduana (Holder II, 525) > La Mayenne, a tributary of the Loire, a river-name connected with 'mead'. Even if this is phonetically tolerable it is semantically very dubious. A much better base is provided by mel- mell- which is found in much Continental toponymy, as detailed in our entry for MALAIA. In particular one notes Meletum > Meilly-sur-Rouvres (Côte-d'Or, France), which is the precise equivalent of the British name with slightly different suffix; for *et-io- compare, perhaps, British Carvetii. A simple sense of 'hill-(place) ' seems appropriate.

IDENTIFICATION. Unknown, but apparently in southern Britain and perhaps between Gloucester and Badbury.

Meliden / Alt Melyd :  commune du Pays de Galles, comté de Denbighsire. Altmelyden, 1291 "Colline de St Melyden". mines de plomb.

Mendips : pays du comté de Somerset, en Angleterre. Réputé dans l'antiquité romaine pour ses mines de plomb. Selon I.A Richmond, le centre principal était Charterhouse-on-Mendip.

Ce mot dont la composition est attribuée à La Tour-d'Auvergne, fin XVIIIè siècle, est basé sur les racines bretonnes men = pierre + hir = longue.

En réalité, le mot breton correspondant est : peulven, de peul = pilier, poteau + maen = pierre.

Localisation des menhirs selon leurs hauteurs :

Menez-Hom 

(Mons Duma)

Colline de forme arrondie située à l'extrême ouest de la Bretagne armoricaine, à l'entrée de la presqu'île de Crozon, au sud de l'estuaire de l'Aulne et de la Rade de Brest. Hauteur : 330 mètres. Du sommet, on aperçoit la Pointe Saint-Mathieu, Brest, Locronan, la Baie de Douarnenez, la pointe du Van.

Le nom est issu d'un doublet latin / celtique : Mons + Duma, ce dernier signifiant colline en forme de dôme, en forme arrondie.

Le toponymes est confirmé par des toponymes voisins :

- Telgruc (-sur-mer) = Tel, tal , en breton : près de, en face de; ou Tellus : déesse de la Terre;  + cruc : colline arrondie.

- Argol = de are collis, près de, en face de la colline.

- Dinéault = din, fortification + alt = hauteur, colline, montagne.

Le Menez-Hom constitue l'ultime hauteur occidentale de la Gaule. Il correspond bien ainsi au Cruc Ochidient / Duma Ochidient / Cumulum Occidentalis de Nennius.

*Mentonomon : (cf. Ferdinand Lallemand : Pytheas de Marseille, p 254) : "selon Adelung et Arvedson, ce nom serait tiré du vieux scandinave "Men Tunum" qui signifierait le "passage de la mer". Il semblerait de Pytheas ait voulu indiquer ici les détroits qui font communiquer la Baltique et la mer du Nord. Par extension, certains écrivains anciens ont donné ce nom à la Baltique tout entière".

-----------

* Rivet & Smith, p. 419 

SOURCE

- Ravenna 108₂₅ (= R&C 238) : MAINA, var. MAVIA

R&C adopted Mavia as their main reading, and identified it with the river Meavy of Devon; for this, Williams provided a root *mav-, which has modem derivatives, and a meaning for the river-name of 'lively one, quick stream'. However, apart from the textual doubt, it is not probable that the Meavy was important enough to figure in Ravenna. If we take Maina as the proper form, an easy emendation provides immediate analogues and a modem derivative : *Moina would have involved the common miscopying for a for o.

DERIVATION. *Moina is identical to Gaulish Moenus > Main river of Germany and to Middle Irish Main, Maoin ( < *Moina) now the Caragh river of Kerry; probably also related are the Minius > Mino river of Galicia (Spain) and the Polish rivers Mién, Mianka. The root is probably Celtic *mei- as in Latin meo, with a sensé 'to go' ('moving one, fast-moving one'?). See Holder II. 606, Ekwall ERN 288, and Pokorny in ZCP, XXI (1940), 55. The name is Meon today, for which Ekwall postulates an ancient Moenus or similar as origin.

IDENTIFICATION. Probably the river Meon, Hampshire.

Mersey: rivière d'Angleterre; Lancashire. Probablement la rivière nommée Seteia par Ptolémée. Voir ce nom à la lettre S.

Mersea : tomb.

Mers-les-Bains : (80350) commune de la Somme, arrondissement d'Abbeville, canton d'Ault, sur la rive nord de l'embouchure de la Bresle. (IGN : 2007-E)

Etymologie :

- Gh. Gaudefroy, LP, N° 86-87, p 17 : Mares ?

- L. Sagebien, LP, N° 145, p 3 : Maris, 830; Ecclesia de Maris.

Mers est "le village situé au bord de la mer".

Mestramalé : voir Mastrabalé, ci-dessus.

Metaris Aestuarium : le golfe du Wash; Angleterre.

- Ptolémée, II,3,4 : Metaris eisxnais (= METAREIS AESTUARIUM), variante Megaris (= MEGARIS)

- Ptolémée, II,3,4 : Metaris eiscuais (= METAREIS AESTUARIUM), variante Megaris (= MEGARIS)

DERIVATION. This is obscure, but there are analogous names. Mùller in his edition of Ptolemy draws attention to the Metauros ( = Metaurus) rivers of Umbria and Bruttium, and to a Mearos (= <