Old European hydronyms

Old European (German: Alteuropäisch) is the term used by Hans Krahe (1964) for the language of the oldest stratum of the Hydronymy (river names) in Central and Western Europe. The origin of these river names is pre-Germanic and pre-Celtic, and was dated by Krahe to the 2nd millennium BC. This primitive European stratum was designated by Krahe as Alteuropäisch, and his Hispanic followers used the term "paleoeuropean".

There are a number of European rivers with clearly Indo-European names, but which cannot be assigned to any known Indo-European language group. These place names are distributed throughout Central and Northern Europe, reaching as far south as the three Mediterranean peninsulas: the Iberian, the Italic and the Balkan. In its area of distribution there is hardly any non-Indo-European hydronymy. Among the later authors who have continued the work of Hans Krahe are Javier de Hoz, for Spanish rivers, and Edelmiro Bascuas for Galician rivers.

Examples

Hydronímic Charter of the ancient European for the root ♪, ♪ alm-

Some examples of this ancient European roots are:

• *al-/alm- ('fluir', 'manar'):

Almar, Almonte, Alenza, Alagon. Variant *aly-: Aller < flumen Aliere (980) <*aly-aris, Allande <*aly-ndis, Ria de Ajo <*aly-o, Alenza < *aly-entia, Allonca < *aly-on(i)ka, Ayones < *aly-on(i)s

• ♪ / ♪ ('fluir', 'discur'):

Jarama Jaramillo < *Sar-ama. Sariego (Sar Valley) < *Sar-aeko.

• *sal-: ('water stagnant, sea')

Sella <*Salia. Saja <*Salia. Jalon <*Salo (Latinized as Salonem) Salamanca <*Salamantia (Salamantica or city of Salamantia) Jálama (river on the border between the province of Cáceres and Portugal)

• ♪^h- (white):

Dawn, Elba

Raíz	- rein, o, i / -onda, o, i / -norda, o, i	-Happy, o, i / -onta, o, i / -norTa, o, i	-entya, o, i / -ontya, o, i / -nortya, o, i	- inya, o / -onya, o / -noralready, or
*ab-	Leave	Absence	Abanceña, Abionzo	Baña, Abaño, Aboño
*al(y)-	Alendi, Allande	Alantone	Alenza
♪ alm-		Almonte, Almantiga	Almanza, Almansa
♪		Arantes, Arantón, Fontarente, Arenteiro	Arienza, Aranza, Aransa, Aranzón, Aranzuelo
*arg-	Arganda, Argandi, Argandi		Argonza, Aragonza, Arganza	Argyn
♪ av-		Avantines	Progress	Avaña
*barb-		Barbecues	Barbanza	Barbecue, Barbecue
*barr...		Barrantes		Barraña
*berg-	Bergondo, Bergundio, Berganda	Bergantes	Bergonza, Berganciano, Bergantzu	Berguño, Bergaña
♪kal-	Galinda, Calanda		Calanza	Caldueño
*kar-	Carenda, Garonda, Carondio	Garanta, Caranto, Carantoña		Honey, honey.
♪karav-	Garabandi	Caravantes, Carabantes, Carabanchel	Carabanzo	Carbaña, Carabaño
♪karr-	Carrandi		Carranza, Carranzo	Carreño, Carreña
♪ Bad-	Malanda, Maluenda	Wrong.		Malaña, Malaño
♪	Marandico, Marandona	Marantes, Morante, Maranchón, Marantio, Moranchel	Marañón
♪kerv-		Cervantes	Cervienzo	♪
*mir-	Miranda, Merandi	Mirante, Mirantes	Miranzo, Miranciños	Mirueña
♪ Pail-	Pejanda		Paelontium
*pal-	Palinda	Palanto	Palencia, Palancia
*par(r)-	Parrondo		Paranza
*sal-		Salentinos, Sante	Salience
♪	Jaranda	Sarantes
♪ be-	Serandi	Serante, Serantes
♪tur-	Torendi, Toranda	Torante, Turante	Turanzas, Toranzo, Turienzo	Toraño, Torroño
♪ you see...		Visantoña	Visantium	Besaña, Veseño, Vesunia (1086)

In the Iberian Peninsula it is the case that the territory in which these names are found clearly penetrates into areas historically considered non-Indo-European, such as Vizcaya (Plentzia < *Palantia, Karrantza <*Karrantia), Catalonia and in part of the Spanish Levant. There would be two explanations for this phenomenon: the Basques and Iberians (respectively) conquered these areas later, or the Indo-Europeanization of these territories was partially and ultimately unsuccessful.

Hydronímic Charter of the Former Indoeuropeo for the Root ♪ Sal-, ♪ Salm-

The name Old European (in German Alteuropäisch) has been chosen as a neutral name. Initially Krahe attributed the names to the Illyrians (a theory called paniliricism), although he later argued that the language was Proto-Indo-European proper. Theories about the Illyrians are now practically ruled out.

Time when it was discussed

Old European has been deduced to be older than the Celtic languages. The maintenance of the names of the rivers in the Celtic area in a "foreign" it indicates, on the one hand, that the rivers already had names when the Celts arrived, and on the other, that these names correspond to a substrate language for the Celts.

In the case of the Iberian Peninsula, if it is assumed that the Celts arrived around the VIII-VII centuries B.C. C., the old European had to be spoken in an earlier time. As a mere hypothesis, taking into account the archaeological evidence of the arrival of elements of the culture of the urn fields from Central Europe to the Peninsula around the years 1500 and 1300 BC. C., could correspond to immigrants of this language or languages.

One language or several related dialects

Whether it was one language or several related dialects cannot be known for sure. However, there are arguments in favor of it being a group of dialects or languages. The first is advanced by Jürgen Untermann, and it is the discontinuity of the names of rivers seen on the European map. This would indicate a mixture of Indo-European and non-Indo-European peoples in a mosaic of languages. The second argument is that it is unlikely that a language would evolve such a number of variants for a single Indo-European word, as is the case for the root *eis-/*ois-/*is- 'quick': Aisa, Eisa, Isa, Esva, Eisia, Aisia, Isna, Aisena, Isana, Isina, Eisra, Isara, Aisaros, Eisla, Aisontios, Aista and Aiseta.

Raíz	Form protorromance	Rio/Arroyo/♪ crazy
♪ab-yo	Abio	Abiu (Asturias)
♪ab-yo	Abione	Abion (Soria)
*ab-yo-ntiom	Abiontium	Abionzo (Cantabria)
♪ab-yo-nika	Abioniga, basin or valley of the *Abio	Abionga (Asturias)
♪ab-on-yo	Abonio	Aboño (Asturias)
♪ab-an-yo	Abanio	Abaño (Cantabria)
*ab-on-iko	Abonigo, *Abon basin or valley	Abongo (Galicia)
*ab-ris	Abris	Opens (Asturias)
*au-ya	Avia	Avia (Galicia)
*au-ntya	Avantia	(Burgos)
*au-ntyo	Avantino	Avantines (Rioja)
♪ a-dra	Audra	Odra (Burgos)
♪ a-a-droo	Audrone	Odron (Navarra)
♪ a-a-droo	Riuus Audrone	Rudrón (Cantabria)
*au-dryo	Audrione	Udrión (Asturias)
♪ dur-y-o	Durius	Duero
♪ dur-y-a	Duria	Doiras (Asturias)
♪ dur-y-a	Dorica (1095) Valley of the Duria	Dóriga (Asturias)
♪ dur-a-tto	Duratone	Duraton (Segovia)
*(e)is-a	Isa	Is (Asturias)
*(e)is-o	Issum flumen	Iso (Galicia)
*(e)is-a-ro	Esaris Rip (1260)	Ribadeza (Galicia)
*(e)is-a-ro	Eisaro	Ezarus (Galicia)
*(e)is-a-ro	Eisara	Isarilla (Cantabria)
*(e)is-a-ra	Eisara	Izara (Cantabria)
*(e)is-e-ra	Eisera	Era (Aragon)
*(e)is-ika	Riuus Eisica	Ruesga (Cantabria)
*(e)is-on-iko	Isonigo basin or valley of the	Isongu (Asturias)
*(e)is-ola	Isola	Isuela (Huesca)
*(e)is-oua	Eisva	Esva (Asturias)
*ib-er	Iberus	Ebro
*ib-or	Ibor	Ibor (Cáceres)
*ib-er	Iberone	Ebron (Teruel)
*ib-o-lyo	Ibolio	Iboyu (Asturias)
*ib-ya	Ibia	Ibias (Asturias)
*nar-o	Narone (1093)	Narón (Galicia)
*nar-a	Nara vallem	Naraval (Asturias)
*nar-oua	Narova	Naroba (Cantabria)
*nar-a-yo	Narayo (1096)	Naraío (Galicia)
*nar-a-ya	Naraya	Naraya (Leon)
*nar-a-yo	Narayola (1023)	Narayola (Leon)
*nar-ya	Naria	Neira (Galicia)
*nar-ke-gya	Narcegya	Narcea (Asturias)
♪ inau-o	Nauone	Nabão (Portugal)
*nau-ya	Nauia	Navia (Galicia-Asturias)
♪ inau-y-lo	Na(v)ilonis	Nalon (Asturias)
*nau-yo-la	Naviola	Navea (Galicia)
♪ Naua-ro	Nauaro-dunum	Navardon (Zaragoza)
♪ inau-ro	Nauronis	Nourón (Asturias)
♪ inau-ra	Naura flumen (926)	Nora (Asturias)
*nau-a	Nauella riuulum (905)	Naviella (Asturias)
*naur-ankom	Nauranci (857)	Naranco (Asturias)
♪nau-ra-eka	Nauraega basin or valley of the Naura	Noriega (Asturias)
*nau-ra-nya	Naurenia flumine (981)	Noreña (Asturias)
*sal-a	Room	Saa (Galicia)
*sal-ya	Salia (998)	Saja (Cantabria)
*sal-ya	Salia	Sella/Seya (Asturias)
*sal-ya-ko	Saliago basin or valley of the *Salia	Sayago (Zamora)
*sal-o	Salonis	Jalon (Soria-Zaragoza)
*sal-o	Salonis	Xalón (Asturias)
*sal-o	Salo	Salo (Barcelona)
*sal-or	Salor	Salor (Cáceres)
♪ Sala-uor	Salavor	Sabor (Bragança)
*sal-ama	Salama	Zalama (Burgos)
*sal-amo	Salamone	Salamon (Leon)
*sal-amo	Salamone	Salamon (Zaragoza)
*sal-ema	Salary	Cascada de Seimeira (Asturias)
*sal-eko	Saleconis	Salegon (Segovia)
♪ Sal-entia	Salentia	Salience (Asturias)
*sal-then	Salentinos	Salentinos (Leon)
*sal-onya	Salaonia, Saonia (med)	Sionlla (Coruña)
♪	Saro	Sar (Galicia)
♪	Saria	Seira (Galicia)
♪ sar-ama	Sarama	Jarama (Guadalajara)
♪ sar-ama	Sarama	Saramillo (Cantabria)
♪ sar-ama	Sarama	Jaramillo (Valladolid)
*sar-anda	Saramda	Jaranda (Badajoz)
♪	Saramo	Saramo (Galicia)
*sar-auya	Saravia	Sarabia (Asturias)
♪ sar-aua	Sarava	Jaraba (Zaragoza)
*sar-aeko	Sarego ualle valley of the Saar (921)	Sariegu (Asturias)
*sauu-ro	Sauro	Sor (Galicia)
*saua-ryo	Savario	Knowledge (Leon)
*saua-ryo	Savareko	Villasabariego (Leon)
♪ seua-lo	Savalone	Jabalone (Real City)
*sauu-ra	Kom-Savura	Consuegra (Toledo)
*tam-aris	Tamre	Tambre (Galicia)
*tam-aro	Tamaronem	Tamarón (Burgos)
*tam-ar-iko	Tamarigo basin or valley of the *Tamara	Tamargu (Asturias)
*tam-asso	Tamassone	Tamajón (Guadalajara)
*tam-essa	Tamessa	Tameza (Asturias)
♪tam-oka	Tamoga	Tamoga (Galicia)
*tam-ussa	Tamussa	Tamuxe (Galicia)
*tam-ussa	Tamussa	Tamuja (Cáceres)
*w(e)is-eya	veseya	Besaya (Cantabria)
*w(e)is-ont-yum	visontiun	Vinuesa (Soria)
*w(e)is-u-lyo	vesulio	Bisuyo (Asturias)
*w(e)is-enn-yo	vesenyo	Veseño (Galicia)
*w(e)is-onn-ya	visunya	Visuña (Galicia)