Editing Selgovae (section)

=== Ptolemy ===
[[File:Britain.north.peoples.Ptolemy.jpg|frameless|right|240px]]
The sole record of the Selgovae and their towns is their mention by Ptolemy in c. AD 150. Their name appears in the 8th century ''[[Ravenna Cosmography]]'' as 'Segloes',<ref>{{Harvcolnb|Pinder|Parthey|1860|pp=436–437}}, ''Ravenna Cosmography''</ref>{{Broken footnote|date=February 2020}} but the document here is taken to be an imperfect copy of classical sources such as Ptolemy, and not an independent historical reference.

The [[Novantae]] are unique among the peoples that Ptolemy names in that their location is reliably known to have been in Galloway due to the way he named several readily identifiable physical features. Since the Selgovae were adjacent to them, their homeland is similarly known.

Ptolemy said that the towns of the Selgovae were ''Carbantorigum'', ''Uxellum'', ''Corda'', and ''Trimontium''. However, there were no towns as such in the area at that time, so he was probably referring to [[Roman military]] camps and native strong points such as [[dun (fortification)|dun]]s. In the ''Ravenna Cosmography'' the town names appear as ''Carbantium'', ''Uxela'', ''Corda'', and ''Trimuntium'', respectively, and the towns are given in a list that does not associate any of the towns with any particular people.<ref>{{Harvcolnb|Pinder|Parthey|1860|pp=432–434}}, ''Ravenna Cosmography''</ref>{{Broken footnote|date=February 2020}}

Efforts have been made to determine the locations of the towns, but there is not enough information available to reach any degree of certainty, and the locations suggested are little more than guesswork.
In the 19th century, ''Carbantorigum'' was thought to be the [[Motte of Urr]] by [[William Forbes Skene|Skene]], and [[John Rhys|Rhys]] thought the name derived from ''Carbantorion'' (''chariot town''). ''Uxellum'' was at Wardlaw Hill at [[Caerlaverock]] according to Skene and Horsley; it was noted that the name sounds like Welsh ''uchel'' (''high'') or Gaelic ''uas'', ''uasal''. ''Corda'' was at [[Sanquhar]], according to Skene. ''Trimontium'' was at Birrenswark Hill, according to Skene, who says its name probably represents Welsh ''Tref mynydd'' (''Town on a Mountain'').<ref>{{Harvcolnb|Skene|1886|pp=72}}, ''Celtic Scotland'', Vol. I</ref>

[[John Rhys|Rhys]], agreeing with [[Andrew Wyntoun|Wyntoun]], thought that 'Selgovae' means 'the hunters' ({{langx|sga|selg}}, modern {{langx|ga|sealg|}}; {{langx|owl|selg}}, modern {{langx|cy|hela|}} 'hunting').<ref>{{Harvcolnb|Rhys|1904|pp=72}} ''Celtic Britain''</ref>