Disputatio:Devonia

Quare dicere Devonia si ipsi romani dumnonia dicebant? --(00:41, 8 Maii 2009 Usor:Ahambhavami)

Mutato, quaeso! --Ioscius ^(disp) 02:45, 8 Maii 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Sed adde fontem nominis, amabo te.--Rafaelgarcia 03:10, 8 Maii 2009 (UTC)[reply]

William Camden, in his 1607 edition of Britannia, described Devon as being one part of an older, wider country that once included Cornwall:

[It] was in ancient time inhabited by those Britains whom Solinus called Dunmnonii … . But … the Country of this nation is at this day divided into two parts, known by later names of Cornwall and Denshire … —William Camden, Britannia.[1]

The term Devonshire may have originated around the 8th century, when it changed from Dumnonia (Latin) to Defenascir.[3]Davies, Norman (2000). The Isles: A History. pp. 207. ISBN 0333692837.--Ahambhavami 05:38, 8 Maii 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I believe no name for this region is Roman. The Romans (as Camden says) called the people who lived in modern Devon and Cornwall "Dumnonii", but no actual name for the region is recorded from Roman sources.

I'm not sure how old the name "Dumnonia" is (maybe fairly soon after the Romans). It would be good to find an early source.

However, the "Dumnonii" certainly -- and "Dumnonia" maybe -- covered not just Devon but also Cornwall. Before changing "Devonia" to "Dumnonia" as the name for Devon, we ought really to find a source that confirms the Latin name of the county. Andrew Dalby (disputatio) 14:49, 8 Maii 2009 (UTC)[reply]

In Asserius, De rebus gestis Alfredi (ch. 3) the form used is "Domnania". I wonder if that's the oldest source? Assuming it's genuine (which some doubt), it was written in king Alfred's lifetime. Andrew Dalby (disputatio) 14:55, 8 Maii 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Gildas also uses the name (in the form Dannoniae or Domnaniae, genitive): he's definitely the first (Rivet & Smith, The place-names of Roman Britain p. 343). There is no Roman source, then, but at least two in early post-Roman times.

Apart from the spelling, the problem remains that early authors meant by this name not just Devon but a kingdom that included Cornwall and Devon. But we could still adopt Dumnonia (comitatus) for the county name if there are sources for it. Andrew Dalby (disputatio) 13:12, 23 Iunii 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Retraho pro tempore

Capsam hic moveo pro tempore quia paginas de comitatibus Anglicis retracto; inter comitatus geographicos, sollemnes et administrativos distinguo. Andrew Dalby (disputatio) 21:41, 9 Ianuarii 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Hinc nunc in paginam ipsam restituo. Andrew Dalby (disputatio) 15:36, 10 Martii 2011 (UTC)[reply]