The Roman Map of Britain Saravus and Sarviodunum Old Sarum, Wiltshire
Coloneas Aramis
var. Aranus (R&C 34) next
Sorbiodoni
(AI 48613
Iter xv)
Sorvioduni (AI 4834
Iter xii)
The Cosmography's
form Saramis is not compounded with dunum 'fort'. The -mi- and
variant -nu-
are simply four minim strokes and are easily -uu-, Sarauus. This
form is found as Pons Saravi
Sarrebourge, Moselle, France on the River Sarre; Sarâuus
4th is found in Ausonii Mosella,
and Sâra 6th in Venantius Fortunatus
(see further Ekwall under
Soar ERN 375) . This
meshes with the earliest OE form of Salisbury Searobyrg 552, byrg 'fort'.
Also in Staffordshire, compare the early forms of Great and Little Saredon,
Sarebrook, and Shareshill which undoubtedly share a common element. In this
context Sorvio- should probably be emended to Sarvio- , a
combining form.
We are almost certainly dealing with the old name of the East
Avon above Salisbury. Under Severn p.360, Ekwall considers the forest name
Savernake SU2266 as potentially derived from the old name for the Bedwyn or the
eastern
arm of the East Avon.
Savernake Forest is recorded as Safernoc 934,
Savernac 1156, and Savernak
1275. Ekwall compares this with
Severn. If this is so, metathesis took place under the influence of the
name
Severn Sabrina.
Thus, Sorviodunum should be emended to Sarviodunum.
Old Sarum SU1332
Old Sarum National Monument Number 26715 SU13783266
ROMANO-BRITISH
SETTLEMENT AT STRATFORD SUB CASTLE
NATIONAL
MONUMENT NO: 26715 (413569,
131946)
Again, I feel like a dullard. I've omitted mention of R&C 239 Sarna, though I read it as Sarua, the etymology is the same as presented by R&C.
Coates CVEP p 108-9, while
acknowledging Sarva, and apparently unaware of
Schnetz's comment on the entry Coloneas, mistakenly gives the AI's
Sorvioduni (Iters XII and XV) more credence. PNRB, perhaps
if not so intent on confounding so many names in the Cosmography, might
have made the same mention of Schnetz's comment under their Armis (?)
p. 258 as they did under Colonia2 p. 313. The simple mention
of Schnetz's indicated sAramis would surely have elicited an earlier
flash of recognition.
A river Sarua
between Southampton Water and the Tamar, and a Saravus that meets all needs is decisive.
I was once convinced that Sarua was an error for Sabrina.
I found a credible paeleographic path from Sabrina to Sarua. I
faltered in my faith that the
cosmographer was orderly.