Sandraudiga

The two-part name shows Germanic lexemes in its respective parts. Theodor von Grienberger sees the derivation Sandr(i) from Germanic *sanþ (with grammatical alternation d <þ) in the first term, and compares it with the evidence in Old Norse sannr, Old English sóð ('true'). He also compares the link with the Visigothic personal name Sandri-mer ('the truly famous') from the early 7th century. He attributes the second link, audiga, to Gothic audags and further related terms in the Old Germanic languages with the meaning of 'rich', 'blessed' or 'happy'.

Richard M. Meyer rejected Grienberger's explanations as being too abstractly constructed, and considers the connection to the personal name Sandrimer to be problematic, since the 'r' in the theonym must be analogous to stem. The copulation of an abstract concept of “true” with the concept of “wealth” is unusual for the naming of Germanic deities. Meyer sees the goddess as a local special phenomenon that is associated with the place name Zundert and creates the name from the terms Old Saxon, Old English *sand ('sand'), and Gothic rauds and Old Norse rauðs ('reddish, red') as "goddess who reddens the sand" shown.^[2][3]

Siegfried Gutenbrunner has another view with the connection to Germanic *Sundra for 'special' and considers it a reference to the name of the place where it was found, Zundert, as *Sundrauda 'divine special', so that the name could mean “the truly rich”.

Norbert Wagner sees an -ra extension in the first member of the name. In the addition of Grienberger's personal name Sandrimer to the theonym Sandraudiga, he sees only a Romance sonorisation in both documents in the '-d-', a vulgar Latin appearance as in the epithet of Mars Halamardus (đ < þ). He does not see Grienberger's assumption of a grammatical change as given.^[4]

For von Grienberger, who emphasized that the stone is decorated with cornucopia on both sides, the name is evidence of a goddess of abundance and fertility. Jan de Vries also sees a “goddess of abundance” in the name, but he is skeptical of Grienberger's linguistic conclusions and leans towards Gutenbrunner's approach; Rudolf Simek on the synthesis.

Lauran Toorians derives the name of Sandraudiga from a Celtic (substratum) place or place name. He sees specifically in the Germanic form sand-raud-iga ("red sand") a Germanization of the older Celtic place name *sfonda-roudo ("red pole"),^[5] whereby he does not explain the conspicuous apositioning of the adjective.^[6] He also argues that the soil in the vicinity of the site contains a lot of iron, giving it a red color, which is also continued in the color of the local rivers. Thus, the topical reference of the name shows the goddess as the protector of the place / settlement. He also sees the same process in the name of Zundert as the adaptation of a Celtic predecessor name by new Germanic-speaking settlers.

• Theodor von Grienberger. "Germanische Götternamen auf rheinischen Inschriften". In: Zeitschrift für deutsches Alterthum und deutsche Literatur 35, 1891, S. 389–391.
• Siegfried Gutenbrunner. Germanische Götternamen der antiken Inschriften. Niemeyer, Halle/S. 1936, S. 98–99.
• Rudolf Simek. Lexikon der germanischen Mythologie (= Kröners Taschenausgabe. Band 368). 3., völlig überarbeitete Auflage. Kröner, Stuttgart 2006, ISBN 3-520-36803-X, S. 360.
• Lauran Toorians. "From a "red post" to Sandraudiga and Zundert". In: Oudheidkundige Mededelingen 75, 1995, S. 131–136.
• Anna-Barbara Follmann-Schulz. "Die römischen Tempelanlagen in der Provinz Germania inferior". In: Wolfgang Haase (Hrsg.): Aufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt Band II, 18, 1 Religion (Heidentum: Die religiösen Verhältnisse in den Provinzen). de Gruyter, Berlin/New York 1986. ISBN 3-11-010050-9, S. 672–793; hier 762, 782, Tafel VIII.
• Jan de Vries. Altgermanische Religionsgeschichte. Band 2, de Gruyter, Berlin/New York 3. unveränd. Auflage Reprint 2010, ISBN 978-3-11-002807-2, S. 322–323.