ANST - Eldern XXI

Dennis Grace sirlyonel at hotmail.com
Mon Jun 21 15:40:59 PDT 1999


Salut Cozyns,

Lyonel aisai.

Lady Celeste says:

>I don't know.  When i joined the SCA they were already calling the children
>smalls. I think it's cute and I've heard it used in other than my own 
>Barony
>so it stuck. I've heard them referred to as halflings in other groups and I
>like the term smalls better.  They don't seem to mind.

Yes, but the children don't realize that you're calling them underwear 
(which is the only thing that was called "smalls" in Renaissance England).  
Sir Kief is correct:  *children* is a Middle English plural of children.  
Medieval people had *children*, *enfants*, *nin~os*, Kinder.  They did not 
have *smalls* or *halflings*.

The use in the SCA of such terms as "small" and "halfling" is another 
example of poor medievalisms like "dragon" or "far-speaker."  Refering to 
children as "smalls" makes you look ignorant and foolish, especially to 
outsiders.

lo vostre por vos servir
Sir Lyonel Oliver Grace


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