ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 1212 http://www.s-gabriel.org/1212 ************************************ From: "S Friedemann" 30 Aug 1998 Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You wanted to know if would have been used as a Welsh feminine name between 1250 and 1350. If this was not authentic, you asked for similar names beginning with and wanted a surname meaning "the free." Here is the information we have found. in a modern Welsh name, derived from the Welsh word "primrose." It was not used as a name in our period [1]. We suggest that you consider using a different name. However, we don't have any 13th century feminine Welsh names beginning with that we can suggest to you. If you'd like to consider a name beginning with a different letter, you might want to read the following article in our library: "A Simple Guide to Constructing 13th Century Welsh Names" http://www.panix.com/~mittle/names/tangwystyl/welsh13.html is a verb meaning "to free, to make free." The adjective parallel to this is the word , meaning "free, loose, liberal." [2] In a period Welsh context, a word meaning "free" would normally have the implication of "free-born, not a villein," instead of some more poetic sense of the word. We have no examples of people in period using bynames like this, and before we can suggest alternatives, we would need to know what nuance of "free" you're looking for. Please feel free to write again with details, and we'll be happy too look for something matching your interests. In your period, most Welsh people were known as their fathers' sons or daughters. For example, if your name was and your father's name was , you would be called "Wentlyana, daughter of Bran." You might also be known by your occupation or possibly by a descriptive epithet, but in formal circumstances, you would always be known as your father's daughter [3]. If you're interested in choosing name for your father, you can find names in the article previously mentioned. We hope that this letter has been useful to you, and that you will not hesitate to write again if any part was unclear or if you have further questions. Research and commentary on this letter was provided by Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn, Zenobia Naphtali, and Arval Benicoeur. For the Academy, --Aryanhwy merch Catmael Caermyrdin August 30, 1998 --------------------------------------- References: [1] Gruffudd, Heini, _Enwau i'r Cymry/Welsh Personal Names_ (Talybont: Y Lolfa, 1984). [2] Evans, H. Meurig & W.O. Thomas, _Y Geiriadur Mawr_ (The Big [Welsh] Dictionary) (Llandysul: Gomer Press, 1987). [3] Jones, Heather Rose (aka Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn), "A Simple Guide to Constructing 13th Century Welsh Names" (WWW: J. Mittleman, 1996) .