Trebopala is a Lusitanian name usually interpreted as a theonym, appearing on the Cabeço das Fraguas inscription from Portugal. Trebopala is probably a goddess.
Meaning of the name
Although the name Trebopala appears in only a single inscription, it is of interest because this inscription is in the Lusitanian language rather than in a Latin dedication. It is generally thought the first element is a Celtic one, *trebo- (or a cognate with it) meaning a house or dwelling place. The second element is interpreted either as "protector", or as the attested Lepontic/Ligurian word pala, probably meaning a sacred stone, or as "flat land." Trebopala is therefore said to mean either Protector of the Home, Plain of the Home or Altar of the Home. In the inscription, Trebopala is recorded as receiving a single sheep (oilam).
See also
Footnotes
- Antonio Tovar listed other cognates: Lithuanian trobà; Germanic thorp; Celtic tribal name Atrebates; Old Irish treb ('house'); Welsh tref ('homestead').
References
- Tovar, Antonio. "L’inscription du Cabeço das Fráguas et la langue des Lusitaniens". In: Etudes Celtiques, vol. 11, fascicule 2, 1966. p. 246. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3406/ecelt.1966.2167; www.persee.fr/doc/ecelt_0373-1928_1966_num_11_2_2167
- Anderson, James M. "Preroman indo-european languages of the hispanic peninsula". In: Revue des Études Anciennes. Tome 87, 1985, n°3-4. p. 325. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3406/rea.1985.4212; www.persee.fr/doc/rea_0035-2004_1985_num_87_3_4212
- On the Indo-European Origin of Two Lusitanian Theonyms (Laebo and Reve), Krzysztof Tomasz Witczak, Łódz (1999)
- La inscripción del Cabeço das Fráguas y la lengua de los Lusitanos, Antonio Tovar (1980)
- E-Keltoi Journal of Interdisciplinary Celtic Studies Vol. 6