Editing Brittonic languages (section)

===Place names and river names===
{{Further|Celtic toponymy|Toponymy in the United Kingdom and Ireland}}
The principal legacy left behind in those territories from which the Brittonic languages were displaced is that of [[Toponymy|toponyms]] (place names) and [[hydronym]]s (names of rivers and other bodies of water). There are many Brittonic place names in lowland Scotland and in the parts of England where it is agreed that substantial Brittonic speakers remained (Brittonic names, apart from those of the former Romano-British towns, are scarce over most of England). Names derived (sometimes indirectly) from Brittonic include [[London]], [[Penicuik]], [[Perth, Scotland|Perth]], [[Aberdeen]], [[York]], [[Dorchester, Dorset|Dorchester]], [[Dover]], and [[Colchester]].<ref>op. cit.</ref>{{full citation needed|date=July 2024|reason=There is no way to tell what source that is supposed to refer to. Wikipedia never uses "op. cit", because material and citations move around all the time.}} Brittonic elements found in England include {{lang|cel-x-combrit|bre-}} and {{lang|cel-x-combrit|bal-}} for 'hill', while some such as ''co[o]mb[e]'' (from {{lang|cy|[[Cwm (landform)|cwm]]}}) for 'small deep valley' and ''[[Tor (rock formation)|tor]]'' for 'hill, rocky headland' are examples of Brittonic words that were borrowed into English. Others reflect the presence of Britons such as [[Dumbarton]] – from the [[Scottish Gaelic]] {{lang|gd|Dùn Breatainn}} meaning 'Fort of the Britons', and Walton meaning (in Anglo-Saxon) a {{lang|ang|tun}} 'settlement' where the {{lang|ang|[[Walhaz|Wealh]]}} 'Britons' still lived.

The number of Celtic river names in England generally increases from east to west, a map showing these being given by Jackson. These include Avon, Chew, Frome, Axe, Brue and Exe, but also river names containing the elements ''der-/dar-/dur-'' and ''-went'' e.g. Derwent, Darwen, Deer, Adur, Dour, Darent, and Went. These names exhibit multiple different Celtic roots. One is *{{lang|cel-x-combrit|dubri-}} 'water' (Breton {{lang|br|dour}}, Cumbric {{lang|xcb|dowr}}, Welsh {{Lang|cy|dŵr}}), also found in the place-name Dover (attested in the Roman period as {{lang|la|Dubrīs}}); this is the source of rivers named Dour. Another is {{lang|cel-x-combrit|deru̯o-}} 'oak' or 'true' (Bret. {{lang|br|derv}}, Cumb. {{lang|xcb|derow}}, W. {{lang|cy|derw}}), coupled with two agent suffixes, {{lang|cel-x-combrit|-ent}} and {{lang|cel-x-combrit|-iū}}; this is the origin of Derwent, Darent, and Darwen (attested in the Roman period as {{lang|la|Deru̯entiō}}). The final root to be examined is {{lang|cel-x-combrit|went/uent}}. In Roman Britain, there were three tribal capitals named {{lang|la|U̯entā}} (modern Winchester, Caerwent, and Caistor St Edmunds), whose meaning was 'place, town'.<ref>{{cite book |last=Matasović |first=Ranko |date=2009 |title=Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic |page=413 |publisher=Brill |location=Leiden / Boston |isbn=978-90-04-17336-1}}</ref>