ateporix

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Attestation:	VR·7 (ateporix) (1)
Language:	Celtic
Word Type:	proper noun
Semantic Field:	personal name
Grammatical Categories:	nom. sg. masc.
Stem Class:	cons. stem
Morphemic Analysis:	ad-tepo-ri-x or ate-epo-ri-x
Phonemic Analysis:	/ateporīχs/
Meaning:	'Ateporiχs'
RIIG:	ατεπορειξ

Commentary

Compound personal name, also attested in Galatia ατεπορειγος (gen.) (Delamarre 2007: 29). The third element is rīg- 'ruler'; adtepo- can be analysed as at(e)-epo- → 'great horse-king' (KGP: 138, or ad-tepo- 'run towards'. The second option is argued by Meid 2005: 95–97, pointing out that unprefixed *eporix is unattested. Meid translates adtepo- 'attack' → 'king of attacks' ('Angriffskönig'), comparing riturix with similar semantics, or 'come running to help (in battle)'. He admits that the semantics of *(at)tek^u̯- in Insular Celtic (see tep-) do not agree with his more agressive interpretations, but prefers the latter with regard to the "heroischen Character dieser Namen". While this is certainly true for 'flight', 'refuge' as in OIr. attach is perfectly plausible; a name 'refuge king' which reflects the protective function of kingship finds a comparandum in OW uoteporix = *u̯oteporix (cf. W godeb 'refuge') (Sims-Williams 2003: 246 f.).

See the hypocoristic atepu for further details about the etymology; cf. also atepa and the possible abbreviation atep.

David Stifter, Corinna Salomon

Bibliography

Delamarre 2007	Xavier Delamarre, Noms de personnes celtiques dans l'épigraphie classique. Nomina Celtica Antiqua Selecta Inscriptionum, Paris: Errance 2007.