ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 1264 http://www.s-gabriel.org/1264 ************************************ 28 Aug 1998 From: (Josh Mittleman) Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked for information about Welsh word "fair, beautiful", which your client wants to use as a surname or nickname for a 12th century Welsh feminine name. This letter is a brief answer to your question. is a fairly common Welsh epithet in period; we found several examples recorded in the 13th century, in various spellings [1]. In the 12th century, the expected Welsh-context spelling of the root word would be ; but as a woman's byname, it would become . The change from initial to is an example of "lenition", a softening of the initial letter in a word that is required by Welsh grammar in some circumstances. For further information on Welsh names from your client's period, we recommend "A Simple Guide to Constructing 13th Century Welsh Names", which you can find on the web at http://www.panix.com/~mittle/names/tangywstyl/welsh13.html Note that this pamphlet was based on an English and Latin source, not Welsh, so the spellings are non-standard. I hope this brief letter has been useful. Please write us again if you have any questions or would like more information on medieval Irish names. I was assisted in researching and writing this letter by Tangwystyl vz. Morgant Glasvryn. For the Academy, Arval Benicoeur 28 Aug 1998 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - References [1] Morgan, T.J. and Prys Morgan, _Welsh Surnames_ (Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 1985), s.n. Teg. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -