[NB   The brief explanation given below has been drafted on the assumption that the reader is already familiar with the basic building-blocks used in Celtic topographical place-names (Chapter 1 of the Home menu), with the structure of compound place-names (Chapter 2) and with the structure of Celtic river-names (Chapter 19)]

This tribal name is referred to by several ancient writers, including Pliny, Tacitus and Ptolemy.

This tribal name is derived directly from a topographical place-name somewhat of the form Silunion, indicating that the place concerned had been occupied by a people using the hill-letter s but was taken over by a people using the hill-letter l₁. These latter people were the tribe we know as the Silures. We see their hill-letter l in various place-names in southeast Wales and the neighbouring part of England, including Nemedonbala (original form of Ravenna’s Metambala) at Lydney, Velesedio (apparently the original form of Blestio) at Little Doward Camp, near Monmouth and in Bulgaeum/Buldaeum (possible original forms of Bullaeum) at Usk. 

[This page was last modified on 08 April 2021]