Dun B*

[Timothy A. McDaniel]

Alan wrote:
> Examples from Cornwall and Scotland do not bolster the idea that "dun" was
> also used in Old English.

Quite true ... but of the five names I gave, I listed languages /
locations for only two.  I think the other three were Old English,
tho I don't have the book to hand to check.  I distinctly remember
Johnson saying that "dun" was also Old English.  I presume it
was either borrowed or a survival from the last common ancestor
of the Celtic and Germanic languages.  (It's much like the
Sanskrit word for "brother" sounding rahter like "brother".)

> "Ruaidh", while a period spelling, also has a less-than-flattering modern
> meaning. The SCA Armorial spells the group's name two different ways in
> different places. The group therefore uses the spelling "Ruadh".

THe different spellings in the Armorial is an error.  I think it's
been corrected recently.

The spelling of the group's name has been discussed on either
the SCA Heralds' list or the S. Gabriel list recently.  I don't
recall the details.  However, from what I recall, that "i"
has to be in there to indicate the genitive case, and it's just
not correct without it.

Daniel de Lincoln
-- 
Tim McDaniel.   Reply to tmcd at crl.com
tmcd at austin.tx.us is not a valid address.