ANST - P-word

[Timothy A. McDaniel]

A few people have asked about "de Lincoln" becoming "de
Lincolia".  I asked Baron Talan Gwynek, a total name stud
from Cleveland, what language my name would have been
written in in period (Latin, for my 12th C. persona) and
attested forms.  "Lincolia" is in Domesday Book, one century
earlier.  There are various other undated-but-period forms,
but they're at home and less common anyway.  There's at
least one DB example without "de", and "Danielis" (yes,
"-is" not "-us") is also attested.

Baron Talan has been a great help to this kingdom, by the
way.  He's stopped his activity in the SCA College of Arms,
but he still comments copiously on our internal submissions.
We hardly have any commentary once our submissions leave
kingdom -- I just cut-and-paste some of his text.  He also
gives us the ability to return unregisterable names
in-kingdom, which is much quicker.  I cannot praise him
enough.

While I have the pulpit (and I *have* been posting a lot
lately, haven't I?  Sorry): There are two common
misconceptions about period naming.

One: that names were fixed.  I may have been Dannet to a few
friends (tho I have evidence for that form only from much
later), Tall Daniel among the clerks, Daniel Richard's son
among others ...  Spelling also varies, especially when the
Latin-based writing system wasn't well-matched to the
language.

Two: that anything goes when it comes to medieval spelling.
Sure, swap "e" for "y" or "i" at will!  Add an extra "e" at
the end!  Double letters or single them!  Uh, no.  The
phenomenon is sometimes called "Ye Olde Englysshe
Spellynge", and it produces non-medieval results.  *Some*
languages have evidence of *certain* variations, but you
have to know the language, the culture (Anglo-Irish or
Irish?), the date, and the context to know.  (Maybe in late
Germany they could substitute cotton for linen in their
wimples, say, but maybe not for underdresses in early
Navarre.)  Not knowing the range myself, I'll stick to
attested spellings.

Danielis Lincolnia
-- 
Tim McDaniel.   Reply to tmcd at crl.com; if that fail, tmcd at austin.ibm.com
is work account.  tmcd at tmcd.austin.tx.us ... is wrong tool.  Never use this.
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