h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

In Welsh, water is 'dwr' (with a hat on the W, but I haven't got that character!).
However, a similar celtic word was used in the past and lives on in the name of the river 'Wysg' (or in English the 'Usk') that flows through Newport. A river named 'water'! What next, a river named 'river'?

How bizzare! It is nice to know that you can drink water though, and get guttered. It makes excuses so much easier; "I only had a couple of glasses of water, honest!"

Actually, the old anglo word for river was avon, thus why there are so many river Avons about the country.

It all makes a disturbing amount of sense.

"Actually, the old anglo word for river was avon, thus why there are so many river Avons about the country." by QMJ

Sorry, QMJ, but 'avon' was not an anglo, saxon, jute or viking word. It was a Brythonic word (i.e. Old Welsh) and exists in modern Welsh as 'afon'. This is why I made my comment above about "What next, a river named 'river'?" followed by a wink - I was being ironic but this was a bit obscure except to Welsh speakers or those with some knowledge of placename derivations!

There are supposed to be 6 rivers or streams in England named "avon". Presumably the English asked the locals what the river was called and they just pointed at it and said "afon", this being taken as a name and not a description. Similarly I have heard it said that Kangaroo means "I don't know" in an aboriginal dialect (can anyone confirm this?). Terry Pratchet takes it further in the Discworld books by having wonderful locations like the "Yourfingeryoufool Mountains"!