Re: CHAT: Directions

At 5:52 pm -0500 8/7/99, Nik Taylor wrote:
.....
>
>North unknown, but possibly related to Oscan-Umbrian (an Italic
>language), nertro-, meaning left, if so, it would mean "left, when
>facing the rising sun"
That's an etymology I'd not met before.  But it seems to me perfectly
possible that some pre-IE word might have found its way both into Germanic
& turn up in some IE-derived language(s) in the Italian peninsular.  The
equation "left(side)" = "north" is quite likely; in Welsh 'de' may mean
"right(side)" or "south".

The early Celts took their directions facing the rising sun; so, of course,
did medieval Europe, hence the *orientation* of churches.  Such maps as
were produced normally had the east at the top.  The change to north at the
top took place as people travelled more, especially at sea, and used the
'loadstone' or compass.

It seems to me very likely the east orientation tradition was ancient in
Europe.

Ray.

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