Rozważania nad kreteńskim hydronimem Κυμαῖος
Considerations on the Cretan river Κυμαιος

Summary/Abstract: The ancient river name Κυμαῖος, attested in two inscriptions describing the boundaries of the Cretan cities Hierapytna and Lato, referred to a seasonal stream which is today called Kseropótamos (Mod. Gk. Ξεροπόταμος, literally ‘dry river’) or Fruzí Potamós (Mod. Gk. Φρουζή Ποταμός, literally ‘Fruzis’ river’). It is impossible to derive the ancient hydronym from the Greek appellative κῦμα (gen. sg. κύματος) n. (t-stem) ‘wave, billow’ because of formal reasons (it is not ‘a seething river’) as well as some problems connected with Ancient Greek word-formation (no traces of a t-stem are visible in the river name under analysis). The derivation from the Ancient Greek noun κύμη f. ‘a kind of cabbage’ is the most probable explanation. River names derived from plants were widespread in both ancient and modern times.

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