NavList:

Yes Gary, Raz has also a meaning for strong currents/tidal waves. I am a bit surprised that it apparently has this sole meaning in your reference dictionaries while its relation to some Arabic origin and probably to some Phoenician origin (the Phoenicians were excellent if not the sole "long haul" Navigators for many centuries in the remote past)seems reasonably well established on the other hand.

I have not researched into the historical origin of "Sein" (e.g. Ile de Sein, Raz de Sein), and it should certainly be researched first into the ("old") Breton and/or Gaelic languages. However I strongly doubt that this word, although identically spelled - we say it is an "homonyme" i.e. the "very same word", but in a quite different meaning (there are a number of "homonymes" in the French Language) - has something to do with your own interpretation, which I had never heard of, so far.

Best Regards

Kermit
----------------------------------------------------------------
NavList message boards and member settings: www.fer3.com/NavList
Members may optionally receive posts by email.
To cancel email delivery, send a message to NoMail[at]fer3.com
----------------------------------------------------------------