ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 2925 http://www.s-gabriel.org/2925 ************************************ 31 Oct 2004 From: Josh Mittleman Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked whether or something similar is an appropriate name for a place in England in our period. As we discussed earlier, we have found no example of an English placename based on the name of the monster ; and we do not think it is a plausible idea. Instead, we have considered English placenames based on the masculine given name and its Welsh root . As we also mentioned in earlier correspondance, we have previously researched placenames based on : http://www.s-gabriel.org/2303 At that time, we found only two late-period placenames based on : 1541 and 1543 "Griffin's Treurdan" (distinguished from other sections of a place called Treurdan). Both of these places were in Pembrokeshire, in Wales [1]. For another client, we have researched Welsh placenames based on the , which is the Welsh name that was borrowed into English as and Latinized . http://www.s-gabriel.org/2546 That report noted two other places in Wales whose names were based on : Pontruffith (pont "bridge" + Gruffudd) ca. 1600 [2] Tregriffith (tref "town" + Gruffudd) 1522, 1592, 1603 [1] also 1526, 1543, 1601, etc. By the late Middle Ages, the name was clearly associated with its Latin and English forms, so a place whose name was based on was just as likely to design arms containing a gryphon as one with a name as based on . Consider, for example, that might have been identified in Latin as "Griffin's bridge". For any educated person and in any written document, the gryphon reference would have been apparent. We therefore have two possible approaches: an English placename based on or a Welsh placename based on . The next step is to choose an appropriate topographic element to combine with the given name. The French element <-gard> or <-garde> "fortress" is occasionally found in French placenames, but we don't recommend it in combination with or . We have no evidence of the given name in France and no example of the French element in Britain. There is a similar name element <-garth> "enclosure", originally Old Norse and borrowed into English, which was sometimes spelled <-gard> in 12th century records [8], but it was pronounced \GARTH\ rather than \GARD\. Even if that pronunciation were acceptable to your group, we wouldn't recommend it because we haven't found examples of <-garth> combined with Norman or Welsh given names, only with Norse and Old English given names [9]. , therefore, does not appear to be a plausible placename. However, there is also a similar-sounding Welsh word that meant "mountain ridge" or "woodland". Because of the similarity to the Norse word, the Welsh word absorbed the meanings of the Norse one and was also used in Welsh to mean "garden, enclosure" and hence "farm" [11]. That word is found in Welsh placenames like "Cynfor's farm" [5]. We will suggest one possible name for your group based on this example. Here is a sample of typical medieval English placenames based on Anglo-Norman given names [3]. We've chosen ones close to Wales, where the name was most common. Examples from other parts of England appear in report 2303. Castri Ricardi 1212 Latin "Richard's castle" Willemscote 1232 "William's cottages" Williamesthorp 1303 "William's outlying farm" Wilmestune 1086 "Wilhelm's or Wighelm's estate" Wulmestun 1242 "Wilhelm's or Wighelm's estate" Walterestun 1249 "Walter's estate" Gernereston 1294 "Garner's estate" Gernestone 1332 "Garner's estate" Pukereleston 1227 "Pukerel's estate" Report 2546 included some examples of the many Welsh placenames based on given names: Bodederen (dwelling + Edern) [4] Treualghmay (town + Gwalchmai) [4] Garthkenaur (farm + Cynfor) [5] Castle Delbadern (castle + meadow + Padarn) [4] Istradmyrik (valley + Meurig) [4] Lloynhowell (grove + Hywel) [4] Tyddyn Alis (house + Alice) [5] Pant Evan (valley + Ieuan) [6] ffryth Roger (pasture + Roger) [7] dryll Jenkin (small piece of land + Jenkin) [7] Castell Maelgwn (Castle + Maelgwn) 14th c. [1] Based on these examples, we can offer several possibilities. In English, the following placenames would not have been out of place in medieval Lancashire, Cheshire, Shropshire, Herefordshire, Monmouthshire, or Gloucestershire: Griffines Castel "Griffin's castle" [10] Griffinescote "Griffin's cottage(s)" Griffinesthorp "Griffin's outlying farm" Griffineston "Griffin's estate" In any of these names, could be replaced by the short form , producing , , , and . In Welsh, any of the following names would be entirely appropriate: Castell Gruffith "Gruffydd's castle" Istradgruffith "Gruffydd's valley" Pant Gruffith "Gruffydd's valley" Garthgruffith "Gruffydd's farm" could be replaced in any of these by or : , , etc. The names could be written as one word, , or two . We hope this letter has been useful. Please write us again if any part of it has been unclear or if you have other questions. I was assisted in researching and writing this letter by Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn, Aryanhwy merch Catmael, Talan Gwynek, Juliana de Luna, and Mari neyn Brian. For the Academy, Arval Benicoeur 31 Oct 2004 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - References [1] Charles, B. G., "The Place-Names of Pembrokeshire" (Aberystwyth: The National Library of Wales, 1992), pp. 215, 549. That the first element is the name is confirmed by later citations such as 1759. [2] _Y Cwtta Cyfarwydd_ (London: Whiting & Co., Ltd., 1883) {Late 16th and early 17th century parish records from the region around St. Asaph's in mid-north Wales}. [3] Ekwall, Eilert, _The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-names_, 4th edition (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991), s.nn. Garnstone Castle, Puxton, Richards Castle, Williamscot, Wilmarston, Walterstone. [4] Nicolson, Nigel and Alasdair Hawkyard, eds. _The Counties of Britain: A Tudor Atlas by John Speed_ (Thames and Hudson, 1989). [5] Williams-Jones, Keith, _The Merioneth Lay Subsidy Roll 1292-3_ (Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 1976). [6] _Y Cwtta Cyfarwydd_ (London: Whiting & Co., Ltd., 1883) {Late 16th and early 17th century parish records from the region around St. Asaph's in mid-north Wales}. [7] Richards, M., _Welsh Administrative and Territorial Units_ (Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 1969), s.vv. fridd, dryll. [8] Ekwall s.nn. Hawkser, Plungar. [9] Ekwall s.nn. Hawkser from "Hauk's garth", Arkengarthdale from "Arnkell's garth". [10] The spelling appears in 12th and 13th century names like 1155-88, 1256, 13th C. Ekwall s.nn. Castleford, Castlerigg, Castleton. [11] _Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru_ (Cardiff: University of Wales Press, several dates). s.vv. gardd, garth. [12] In Welsh, a modifier following a feminine noun undergoes mutation, i.e. the initial consonant softens in pronunciation and changes spelling. After feminine , becomes , the \G\ having become silent. , , and are masculine nouns, so mutation doesn't apply in those names. is both masculine and feminine, but our example and another "Brengi's farm" [4] do not show mutation.