Editing Esus (section)

==Etymology==
A large number of etymologies have been proposed for the name "Esus".<ref name=Evans>{{cite book |last=Evans |first=D. Ellis |title=Gaulish Personal Names: A Study of Some Continental Celtic Formations |location= Oxford |publisher= Clarendon Press |date=1967}}</ref>{{rp|201}} The nature of the god's name is not certain. {{ill|Wolfgang Meid|de}} has suggested it may be a euphemism, cover-name, or epithet of the god.<ref name=Meid/>{{rp|34–35}} {{ill|Claude Sterckx|fr}} has even questioned whether "Esus" was a name given to only one deity (though his view is a minority one).<ref name=deBernardoStempel>{{cite book |first=Patrizia |last=de Bernardo Stempel |chapter=Celtic Taboo-Theonyms, ''Góbanos''/''Gobánnos'' in Alesia and the Epigraphical Attestations of ''Aisos''/''Esus'' |editor1-first=Gaël |editor1-last=Hily |editor2-first=Patrice |editor2-last=Lajoye |editor3-first=Joël |editor3-last=Hascoët |editor4-first=Guillaume |editor4-last=Oudaer |editor5-first=Christian |editor5-last=Rose |title=Deuogdonion: Mélanges offerts en l'honneur du professeur Claude Sterckx |location=Rennes |publisher=Tir |date=2010 |pages=105–132 }}</ref>{{rp|119}}

The most widely adopted etymology derives Esus's name from the [[proto-Indo-European]] verbal root {{lang|ine-x-proto|h₁eis-}} ("to be reverent, to worship"), cognate with [[Italic languages|Italic]] {{lang|itc|aisos}} ("god").<ref name=Hofeneder2/>{{rp|323}} This etymology is supported by the fact that it makes the initial vowel of Esus's name [[Vowel length|long]], which agrees with both Lucan's [[scansion|poetic stress]] and the variant spellings which use "ae" for this vowel.<ref name=Meid/>{{rp|35}} However, [[D. Ellis Evans]] points out that the more common etymology for Italic {{lang|itc|aisos}} derives this word from an Etruscan word; since Etruscan is non-Indo-European and Celtic is Indo-European, this would rule out a relationship between ''Esus'' and {{lang|itc|aisos}}.<ref name=Evans/>{{rp|201}}

[[Joseph Vendryes]] linked the name with proto-Indo-European *{{wikt-lang|ine-x-proto|h₁su-|esu-}} ("good"). [[Jan de Vries (philologist)|Jan de Vries]] is sceptical of this, pointing out that this is difficult to reconcile with the fearful god described in Lucan and the scholia.<ref name=deVries/>{{rp|98}} Meid suggests the name would then be a [[euphemism]], comparing it with the Irish god-name [[Dagda]] ("the good god").<ref name=Meid/>{{rp|35}} [[Henri d'Arbois de Jubainville]] linked it to proto-Indo-European *{{wikt-lang|ine-x-proto|h₂eys-|is-}} ("to wish"). [[T. F. O'Rahilly]] linked it to proto-Indo-European *{{wikt-lang|ine-x-proto|h₂ey-|eis-}} ("vital force, life").<ref name=deVries/>{{rp|98}} [[Félix Guirand]] suggested the name was cognate with Latin {{lang|la|erus}} ("lord", "master"),<ref name=deVries/>{{rp|98}} which Meid notes is a common [[epiclesis]] given to deities ([[Freyr]], [[Ba'al]]).<ref name=Meid/>{{rp|35}} Other etymologies have variously connected the name with German {{lang|de|Ehre}} ("honour"), Ancient Greek {{lang|grc|αἰδέομαι}} ({{transliteration|grc|aidéomai}}, "to be ashamed"), [[Old Norse]] {{lang|non|eir}} ("brass, copper"), and [[Breton language|Breton]] {{lang|br|heuzuz}} ("terrible") <ref name=Evans/>{{rp|201}}<ref name=deVries/>{{rp|98}}