Solent, The
otherwise: soluente, 730-890; solentan, 948-12; Soland, le, 1395
SOLENT (THE), arm of the sea
Of uncertain meaning, but a name of an ancient type. Remarkably similar names are found about 2000 years ago in Sicily, on the coast of Africa, and in the Adriatic (this last being an island). It appears to be Indo European in form but cannot be positively attributed to any known Indo European language. It is discussed at great length in Coates (1988a).
The name originally denoted the whole channel including SPITHEAD, for the form of 948 appears in the bounds of Alverstoke, adjacent to the spit from which SPITHEAD takes its name.
- sea area - Hampshire
Period - 1780s
The place is described in text Cox 1738
- sea area - Hampshire
... the Solente, as he calls the Chanel between Britain and the Isle of Wight, into which, at certain Hours two opposite Tides coming up with great Violence from the Ocean and meeting here, raised so great an Admiration in our Forefathers, that they reckoned it one of the Wonders of Britain, as Bede's Words testify, saying, Two Tides out of the Northern Ocean do daily meet and encounter near the Mouth of the River Homelea, and when their conflict is ended, return again to the Sea whence they came.
- sea area - Hampshire
Period - 1690s-1720s
And to the North, betwixt the fore-land and the firm,
She hath that narrow Sea, which we the Solent term:
Where those rough ireful tides, as in her straits they meet,
With boist'rous shocks and roars each other rudely greet:
Which fiercely when they charge, and sadly make retreat, ...
The place is described in text Camden 1610
- Hantshire
Period - 1600s
... for so [Solente] termeth he that frith our narrow sea, that runneth between the Isle of Wight & the maine land of Britaine: in which the tides at set houres rushing in with great violence out of the Ocean at both ends, and so meeting one another in the mids, seemed so strange a matter to our men in old time, that they reckoned it among the wonders of Britaine. Whereof, read heere the very words of Beda. The two tides of the Ocean which about Britaine breake out of the vast Northen Ocean daily encounter and fight one against another, beyond the mouth of the river Homelea: and when they have ended their conflict, returne back, from whence they came and run into the Oceane.
- sea area - Hamshire
Period - 1590s-1600s
