ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 2934 http://www.s-gabriel.org/2934 ************************************ 22 Nov 2004 From: Aryanhwy merch Catmael Greetings from the Academy of S. Gabriel! You wanted to know if 'Ricca grey-cloak' or 'Ricca white-cloak' is an appropriate name for an Italian Jewish woman living between 1450 and 1550. Here is the information we have found. We found evidence of the feminine name being used by Jewish woman in Milan between 1540 and 1570. [1] We found two bynames using the word 'cape'. In southern Italy, we found a. 1256, a. 1310 and a. 1368, as well as a. 1282 and (undated, but medieval). [4] This second byname means 'long cape'. We also found a number of modern surnames deriving from clothing words, including , , 'cape, coat', 'large surtout'; 'gown, long coat, mail coat', as well as the following compounds of clothing words with color words: [5] Cappadoro: golden cape Cappinera: black cape Cappabianca: white cape Calzibigi: grey hose Calzanera: black hose We do not know when these first came into use, but it's reasonable to believe that they were originally descriptive bynames found sometime in the Middle Ages. We have not found any evidence for Jews using bynames of this type, however. Modern Italian has two words for grey: and . It appears that means 'blue-grey' or 'sky-grey'. [2] We did not find any bynames based on , so we cannot recommend as the best recreation. [3] Based on this, is a possible choice for your byname, though the documented is better recreation. We do not have the data to say whether or would have been used literally in your period, or if they would have been used as inherited bynames. We hope that this letter has been useful to you and that you won't hesitate to write us again if any part was unclear or if you have further questions. Research and commentary on this letter was provided by Maridonna Benvenuti, Arval Benicoeur, Talan Gwynek, Juetta Copin, Ursula Georges, and Barak Raz. For the Academy, -Aryanhwy merch Catmael, 22 November 2004 -- References: [1] Yehoshua ben Haim haYerushalmi, "A Sample of Jewish Names in Milan" (WWW: Academy of S. Gabriel, 2003) http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/yehoshua/milan_names.html [2] _De Mauro, Il Dizionario della Lingua Italiana_ (WWW: De Mauro Paravia, no date). http://www.demauroparavia.it/13910 [3] De Felice, Emidio, _Dizionario dei cognomi italiani_ (Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, 1978). s.n. Bixio [4] Caracausi, Girolamo, _Dizionario Onomastico della Sicilia_, vol. I, (Palermo, 1994). snn. Cappa, Cappalonga [5] Fucilla, Joseph G., _Our Italian Surnames_ (Evanston, IL: Chandlers' Inc., 1949). pp.184-5