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Isobel de Kirkbryde wrote:
<blockquote cite="mid746673.3160.qm@web34607.mail.mud.yahoo.com"
type="cite">Does anyone know which is the correct spelling? Yes, I
know in medieval times that spelling accuracy was optional. However, I
am wanting to put a link on the Skorragardr website to the
Beltane/Beltain games website and want to know which spelling to use. <br>
<br>
Thanks, <br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Lady Isobel de Kirkbryde<br>
Guild Head of the Guild of St. Camillus de Lellis, Kingdom of Ansteorra<br>
V-Scribe Canton of Skorragardr<br>
Member of Clann Lochlan<br>
Member of Clann Haddock<br>
Member of House MOO</blockquote>
Beltane is how I've always known it, and that is how it is spelled on
the Namron website and the Kingdom Calendar. I just realized that in
the event announcement it is spelled in the old Irish form of Beltain.
Although both are correct spellings, I would say to just stick with the
Beltane spelling so the websites match.<br>
<br>
For you language junkies, here's the etymology of the word:<br>
<h2><span class="mw-headline">Etymology</span></h2>
<p><i>Beltane</i> has a complex etymology and a resultant variety of
different spellings.</p>
<p>The word <i>Beltane</i> derives directly from the <a
href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Irish" title="Old Irish">Old
Irish</a> <i>Beltain</i>, which later evolved into the <a
href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_language"
title="Irish language">Modern Irish</a> <i>Bealtaine</i>. In <a
href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_Gaelic"
title="Scottish Gaelic">Scottish Gaelic</a> it is spelled <i>Bealltainn</i>.<sup
id="_ref-SMO_0" class="reference"><a
href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beltane#_note-SMO" title="">[9]</a></sup>
Both are from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Irish"
title="Old Irish">Old Irish</a> <i>Beltene</i> ('bright fire') from <i>belo-te(p)niâ</i>.
Beltane was formerly spelled 'Bealtuinn' in Scottish Gaelic; in Manx it
is spelt 'Boaltinn' or 'Boaldyn'.</p>
<p>In Modern Irish, <i>Oíche Bealtaine</i> is May Eve, and <i>Lá
Bealtaine</i> is May Day. <i>Mí na Bealtaine</i>, or simply <i>Bealtaine</i>
is the name of the month of May.</p>
<p>In the word <i>belo-te(p)niâ</i>) the element <i>belo-</i> is
cognate with the English word <i>bale</i> (as in 'bale-fire'), the <a
href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Saxon_language"
title="Anglo-Saxon language">Anglo-Saxon</a> <i>bael</i>, and also
the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithuanian_language"
title="Lithuanian language">Lithuanian</a> <i>baltas</i>, meaning
'white' or 'shining' and from which the <a
href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltic_Sea" title="Baltic Sea">Baltic
Sea</a> takes its name.</p>
<p>In <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goidelic_languages"
title="Goidelic languages">Gaelic</a> the terminal vowel <i>-o</i>
(from <i>Belo</i>) was dropped, as shown by numerous other
transformations from early or Proto-Celtic to <a
href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Early_Irish&action=edit"
class="new" title="Early Irish">Early Irish</a>, thus the Gaulish
deity names <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belenos"
title="Belenos">Belenos</a> ('bright one') and <a
href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belisama" title="Belisama">Belisama</a>.</p>
<p>From the same <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proto-Celtic"
title="Proto-Celtic">Proto-Celtic</a> roots we get a wide range of
other words: the verb <i>beothaich</i>, from Early Celtic <i>belo-thaich</i>
('to kindle, light, revive, or re-animate'); <i>baos</i>, from <i>baelos</i>
('shining'); <i>beòlach</i> ('ashes with hot embers') from <i>beò</i>/<i>belo</i>
+ <i>luathach</i>, ('shiny-ashes' or 'live-ashes'). Similarly <i>boil</i>/<i>boile</i>
('fiery madness'), through Irish <i>buile</i> and Early Irish <i>baile</i>/<i>boillsg</i>
('gleam'), and <i>bolg-s-cio-</i>, related to <a
href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin" title="Latin">Latin</a> <i>fulgeo</i>
('shine'), and English 'effulgent'.<br>
</p>
<p><br>
Hmm, maybe we should go with the old Scottish Gaelic spelling of
Bealtuinn and really mess with people... Nah, just kidding.<br>
</p>
<p>Baron Donnchadh<br>
</p>
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