Ireland in Winter

It's winter for sure now.  Those of us in northern climes are hunkered down for a long cold season.  Not quite hibernating, but operating at a lower level of activity.  It's a good time to dream about travels.  My annual UK archaeology trip is still in "dubious" status.  Last year it was cancelled by Covid.  As was a second trip to Ireland.  Ireland of course was once known as Hibernia.  So, is everyone over there hibernating?  And what is the connection between the two words.  Clearly there must be one.

It's thanks to some illiterate sailors. 

But the starting point is of course from Latin.  Hibernare meant to "winter, pass the winter, occupy winter quarters".  

The Classical world became aware of Ireland fairly early, with the journey of the great Greek explorer Pytheas of Massalia (circa 320 BC) being the best recalled event.  Pytheas and no doubt other forgotten mariners learned that the locals called their land "Ierne".  This is from Old Celtic and gives us the alternate name Eire. Iouernia was one of several variants with the "io" sound coming through as "w".  Tacitus in 98 AD rendered this as Hibernia. 

So somewhere along a several centuries process of visiting the extremes of the Known World there must have been sailors on frail ships looking at a chilly coastline very far from their sunny Mediterranean homes.  When they heard that the natives called it something that sounded very much like "Winter" they said, presumably in Greek or Latin, darned right and just began calling it the land of hunkering down for a long cold time.