[gothic-l] Viseu, Cava & s/j

[Carlos Carvalho]

Good Day,

Continuing on the Wis ... subject, there is also a portuguese town
called Viseu and a later medieval personal name Vizói, coinciding
geographically.
(puzzling as Viseu in modern german would give Vizói as well)
The first documental appearance of Viseu was in Bracara (now Braga)
concilium
in 572 where his bishop Remisol ( I imagine would be Remisund), was present.

Historians believe it would derive from latin Visum, a high watching place,
> Viso > Viseo > Viseu.
There has been a search for an epigraphic proof but never found.
Some also say it would be the old Interamnienses (between rivers) town or
even
Talabriga (now thought to be Marnel). This imples a bit of a contradition as
there
aren't expected more than one roman name for the town.

At least five roman roads depart from the ancient site of Viseu, in the
vicinity
of an important tin mining region. There is also a huge 38 hectare octogonal
earth construction, called Cava, surrounded by a 10 m wide floodable ditch
and a 9 m
high wall. The wall has about 28 m width at the bottom and 6 m at the top.
It is strange that nor Viseu or the Cava was never referred in roman
documents.
My question is: would it be really a roman name ?

There is another Viseu (Viseu de Sus/Viseu de Jos) in northern Romenia,
near the ucranian border, by a river of the same name.
Interesting to notice that romanian pronounciation would be Vijeu
(confirmation please).
Indeed portuguese from Viseu exchange the "s" by a soft "j" and
also pronounce Vijeu, an easy way to recognize a "viseense".

Also to notice that "beseo" (northwestern penisulars also exchange the "v"
by "b")
 in leonese is used as a word for shadow, more specifically a land where the
sun rarely goes.

Bishop Remisol going to Bracara doesn't necessarily imply suevi occupation
of Viseu
as it would simply mean his views on gothic arianism.
It is also difficult to talk about occupation in these mountain areas,
relatively poor
an unimportant. Most probably just received military expeditions now and
then,
specially when someting went wrong.

I believe Viseu would be a post-roman name but I can't say much more.

Any ideas ?

Carlos da Fonte
(Maia-Portugal)

Visandus is a name that survived into the 12th
century. The following forms appear in the sources:
a Greek transcription <Ouísandos> of unknown date,
<Wisunt> 9th c.,
a feminine <Wisuntin> 11th c.,
<Wisint>, <Wisunt> 11th c.,
<Wisent> 12th c.
The last three are from the region around
Regensburg in south Germany.

The name appears to be from Germanic *<wisand->, *<wisund->
'bison' (OHG <wisunt>)

Dirk





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