touched upon; for Menerva is supposed to represent an early Menezva, derived from the same stem, menes, which we have in the Greek μένος, genitive μένους, 'mind, spirit, courage,' Sanskrit manas, genitive manasas, of much the same meaning. But such a name as Menezva would have to became Meneva in the early history of the Celtic languages still living; and from that name would be formed an adjective Menevjos, Menevja, Menevjon, 'relating to Meneva,' or the Celtic Minerva; but in later Welsh all these would be cut down to Menyw or Mynyw. The one representing the masculine Menevjos is mostly written Menyw or Menw, and is the name which has been equated with the Irish name Maine; while the feminine would seem to have been preserved uncurtailed as Menevia, to pass for the Latin name of St. David's, whence also the adjective Meneviensis,[1] while in Welsh it has mostly been treated as Mynyw or Menyw.[2] This indirect evidence to a goddess of the name Meneva, corresponding to that of Minerva in Latin, would mean that the district around St. David's, the western position of which near the sea fits in with other instances, was called after this Celtic Minerva, and treated perhaps as in some sense or other peculiarly hers. This allusion to Minerva will have pro-
- ↑ Meneviensium episcopo in the Life of St. David, written by Rhygyvarch (Ricemarchus) in the twelfth century: see the Lives of the Cambro-Brit. SS. (Llandovery, 1853), p. 121.
- ↑ This is attested by the Welsh name of Old Mynyw (a church in the neighbourhood of Aberaeron, in Cardiganshire), which, called Hen Fenyw, just like the words hen fenyw, 'an old woman,' considerably exercises the popular-etymology man, especially when he takes it in conjunction with the name of a church on the other side of the Teivi, called Eglwys Wrw, which could not help striking him as meaning the 'Male Church.'
