The spali of Jordan and the pali of Pliny the Elder

Sharov Oleg V.

The article discusses a number of North Pontic hydronyms which are identified as Celtic in recent publications. The author shows that there are no reasons to believe that Axiaces and Rhode, recorded by ancient authors, are Gaulish in origin. This supports the advocated view that Eastern Europe in general does not provide evidence of Celtic origins of some river names. Methodological issues of the toponymic analysis are touched upon, as well as considerations regarding the so-called “Illyrian” and Thracian layers of the toponymy of the area.

Keywords: hydronyms, toponyms, North Pontic area, Celtic, Gaulish, Thracian, “Illyrian”
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