The river's
Latin name was
Duria maior,
Duria Baltica or
Duria Bautica.
Strabo called it Δουριας (
Dourias) in Greek. The name comes from the
Celtic root *
dubr- ("flow"), itself from the Proto-Indo-European root *
dʰew- ("flow"). This root can be found in many European river names, such as
Douro. The second element may derive from the
Illyrian root *
balta ("‘swamp, marsh, white clay"). The river is called in
Arpitan, in
Valdôtain, and in
Piedmontese. == Geography ==