GEVI´NI(Γηουινοί), mentioned by Ptolemy as a population of European Sarmatia (3.5.24) lying to the north of the Carpiani, and the south of the Bodini (Βωδινοί). Buchowiniais as likely a place as any for these Gevini. The name of this locality is generally deduced from Buch==Beech-tree, so that it==the land of the beeches.But the word Buchis German; whereas Buchowinia is Slavonic. Now if we allow ourselves to suppose the root gevinto be a geographicalterm (i. e. the name of a tract of land), we have a better derivation. No habit is commoner with the Slavic populations than to prefix to a noun denoting a locality the preposition po(bo)==on.Hence Po-moraniais the country on the sea:a population on the Elbe (in Slavonic, Laba) was called the Po-labingi. As examples of this kind may be multiplied, the hypothesis that the Buchowiniais the country of the population on the Gevin(po-gevin) becomes allowable.
[R.G.L]