ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 1449 http://www.s-gabriel.org/1449 ************************************ 3 Jan 1999 From: (Josh Mittleman) Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked whether or was used in Dutch or Irish, particularly in the 15th or 16th centuries. You also asked for information about this period and for suggestion on where to find lists of period women's names. This letter is a brief answer to your questions. We have never seen used in Ireland. However, as you found, it was used in Flanders in the 16th century, where it was recorded as or [1]. is a French or English spelling. Flanders was ruled by French nobility in this period, so the French form of the name could certainly have been used, but only in a completely-French name. The surname is also recorded in 15th and 16th century Flanders [1]. It meant "the Moor", and probably described a man who had a swarthy complexion [2, 3]. is an exemplary 15th or 16th century Flemish name. It would have been pronounced very roughly \ROO-lont d@ MORE\, where \@\ represents a schwa, the last sound in . The list of names from Bruges that you originally consulted, reference [1], contains a few women's names, but they're hard to find. We've appended a list of Dutch women's names that your wife can consider. She could combine any of them with any of the surnames in reference [1]. If she'd like to check the pronunciation of any name or the meaning of any surname, please write again. To learn about the history of the Low Countries in the 15th and 16th centuries, you may want to start with the Encyclopedia Britannica, which gives a good overview. For more in depth information, we can recommend "The Dutch Republic", by Jonathan Israel, and "The Rise of the Dutch Republic" by John L. Motley. We hope this brief letter has been useful. Please write us again if you have any questions. I was assisted in researching and writing this letter by Walraven van Nijmegen and Talan Gwynek. For the Academy, Arval Benicoeur 3 Jan 1999 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - References [1] Luana de Grood, "Flemish Given Names from Bruges, 1400-1600", (WWW: Academy of Saint Gabriel, 1996). http://www.us.itd.umich.edu/~ximenez/s.gabriel/docs/bruges/ [2] Verdam, J., _Middelnederlandsch Handwoordenboek_ (Leiden, Antwerpen: Martinus Nijhoff, repr. 1981). [3] Calisch, I. M., _Nieuw Volledig Engelsch-Nederlansch en N-E Woordenboek_, 2nd ed. (Amsterdam: H.C.A. Campagne & Zoon, 1892). - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - A List of Medieval and Renaissance Dutch Women's Names These names appear in Van der Velden, G. M., _Het Oudste Cijnregister van de Abdij van Berne uit 1376_ ('s-Hertogenbosch: Rijksarchief in Noord-Brabant, 1982). The most common names in the sample are: Aleydis, Aelent Eefsa Elysabeth, Elisabeth, Lysbeth, Lysbet, Lijsbet, Lijsken, Lysa Gertrudis, Gertrude, Ghertrudis, Gheertrudis, Truda Heylwigis Hylla, Hilla, Hyldegondis Yda, Ida Katherina Cristina, Christina, Styenken, Stina Leyta Margreta, Met Mechtildis, Mechteld Other names are: Aghata, Aechte Agnes, Neysel, Neeskina Ermgard Beatrix Beela, Bela Bertina Bessela Bieken Delyana, Delya Dyerwijf Emesa Enggela Eva Gheerburgis Gheerwige Johanna Conegundis Zensa Lucia Lumoedis Luta Merswindis Nenne, Nenneken, Nennekin Oeda Salomea Sophia Ulindis Vriesken Wisgaert