ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 2916 http://www.s-gabriel.org/2916 ************************************ 19 Oct 2004 From: Femke de Roas Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked us if would be an appropriate name for an early 16th century woman living near Aachen, Germany. We have several examples of and similar forms of the name, but they're all from Dutch sources [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]: 1353, 1422, 1440, 1464, 1471, 1502 1402 1440 We have not found any German examples with the spelling. We have found no evidence of as a period German surname or place name. Because we only have evidence for in Dutch, we looked for evidence of a Dutch form of the same place name. Since Dutch 'wine' corresponds to German , and Dutch 'shrubbery, thicket' to German , we researched the possibility of the Dutch placename [6]. We found examples of a surname ca. 1400, 1450, and 1452, 1460, 1472, which clearly has the same meaning as your German placename [7, 8, 9]. In most parts of Germany surnames like , consisting of the preposition and a place-name, had become rare by 1600. In the Netherlands, Dutch-speaking Belgium, and the neighboring parts of Germany, however, they remain current right down to the present, though usually with the Dutch and Low German preposition , and we think that over much of this region they were probably still the dominant type in the 16th century. [10] Moreover, in period we have found (in any spelling) only with the preposition , so we recommend that you also use the preposition. is a fine name for a 15th century Dutch woman, and we think it very likely that its suitability extends into the 16th century. Our very limited data suggest that the spelling may be primarily an earlier spelling, so we recommend as a safer historical re-creation. It is not, unfortunately, a safe re-creation for the region around Aachen. The variety of German spoken in Aachen, though much closer to Dutch than are many German dialects, was none the less quite different from any Dutch dialect. As a result, a name could take rather different forms in Aachen and, say, Rotterdam. Some form of was undoubtedly used in Aachen, possibly several; the name was popular throughout Germany [11]. Unfortunately, we don't know what these forms were. Similarly, we don't know what forms the surname might have taken in Aachen, or even how likely it is to have been used there in any form. We hope this letter has been useful. Please write us again if any part of ithas been unclear or if you have other questions. Research and assistance in writing this letter was provided by Arval Benicoeur, Aryanhwy merch Catmael, Talan Gwynek, Mari neyn Brian, Ursula Georges, Walvaren van Nijmegen, Aleksandr Traveller, Gunnvor Silfraharr, and Maridonna Benvenuti. For the Academy, Femke de Roas October 19, 2004 ______________________________________________________________________ REFERENCES [1] Friedemann, Sara L. (aka Aryanhwy merch Catmael), "15th Century Dutch Names" (WWW: privately published, 2000). http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/dutch15.htm [2] Muntjewerff, Dr. Henk, "Molenaarsfamilies en families met molenaars in het Land van Breda, tot 1600," (WWW: Privately published, 2002). http://www.home.zonnet.nl/h.muntjewerff/molen/vanbaerle.htm [3] de Bakker, W., "Moergestel, Rechterlijk Archief, inventarisnummer 286, 1492-1504 (met hiaten) DEEL 5.," (WWW: Regionaal Archief Tilburg, 2004). http://rhc.tilburg.nl/studiezaal/naderetoegangen/moe/protmoe286-5.html [4] Kittel, Ellen E., "Guardianship over women in medieval Flanders: a reappraisal," _Journal of Social History_, Summer, 1998. http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2005/is_n4_v31/ai_20870392/ pg_1, footnote 40. [5] Scheffers, Frank, "Geschiedenis van Udenhout 'Het al Oude Adellijk Huis de Vorsellar' de Bakermat van Biezenmortel?" De Kleine Meijerij, jrg. 44 (1993) afl. 4 http://www.snoerman.org/udh/Vorselaar.html [6] _The Compact Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary_ (New York: Oxford University Press, 1973); s.vv. , . [7] "Nederlandse Familienamen Databank", (WWW: Meertens Instituut, 2004). http://www.meertens.knaw.nl/nfd/detail_naam.php?naam=Wijnhorst [8] Giesen, Loe, "Kroniek Voor Belfeld, Beesel En Swalmen - 1450- 1459," (WWW: Self-published, 2004). http://members.lycos.nl/maasenswalmdal/1450-1459%20Loe%20Giesen.htm [9] Flament, A. J. A., "Inventaris van het archief der Heerlijkheid Meerlo-Tienray," (WWW: RijksArchief Limburg). http://www.rijksarchieflimburg.nl/inveta/01041a.htm [10] Schwarz, Ernst, _Deutsche Namenforschung. II: Orts- und Flurnamen_ (Goettingen: Vandenhoek & Ruprecht, 1950); p. 105f. [11] Drosdowski, Guenther, _Duden Lexikon der Vornamen_, 2nd ed. (Mannheim: Dudenverlag, 1974); s.n. .