ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 2976 http://www.s-gabriel.org/2976 ************************************ 10 Jan 2005 From: Gunnvor Silfraharr Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked for our opinion of as the name of a German Crusader from around 1190. Here is what we found. We found your name recorded in two Latin forms around your period [1]: 7th C., 888, 973, 1122 887, ca.1000 The Latinized forms and represented the vernacular (spoken) forms and . An approximate pronunciation for these names is \LOAT-har\ and \LOAT-hair\, respectively. Also near your period we found the names in 1170 and in 1172, both Latinized forms. The vernacular forms were and , pronounced \LOOT-hair\ and \LOOT-har\. These names originated due to merging and confusion of the names and [2]. You also asked about a byname of , which you said you believed to be a form of . is an Old High German word, both an adjective meaning 'first, foremost, highest, greatest, uppermost, best, most excellent' and a noun meaning 'prince, ruler, sovereign, chief, eldest (one)' [3]. It is the etymological ancestor of the modern German 'prince; ruler'. The quotation mark here indicates an umlaut over the preceding letter. 'Old High German' (OHG) is the modern scholarly name for one of the major German dialect groups spoken until about the middle of the 11th century. By your period, the German language had changed enough that the scholars give it a different name, Middle High German (MHG) [4,5]. By 1190, instead of OHG the word had developed into MHG 'first, foremost' and 'highest, most excellent; ruler of a country, or his immediate vassals' [6]. MHG was used as a title of rank, but it also appears to have been in use as a byname [7]. Somewhat after your period, we found the Latinized form used as a byname in the phrase in 1239, 'Conradus and Conradus and moreover Conradus, sons of the former Cunradus Fursto' [7]. We also found another use as a byname in the vernacular form in , 'Heinric called Furste' in 1291 [8]. Because these terms were at times used as a title of rank for a prince or ruler, they may not be appropriate for use as a byname in the Society [9]. In summary, would be a fine name for your period, with being the form that would appear in written documents. Other forms are possible as well. However, we aren't sure that Society custom or SCA rules permit it. I 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 Aryanhwy merch Catmael, Arval Benicoeur, Talan Gwynek, Juetta Copin, Ursula Georges, and Mor inghean Chathail. For the Academy, Gunnvor Silfraharr 12 January 2005 ----------------------------------------------------- References [1] Morlet, Marie-Therese, _Les Noms de Personne sur le Territoire de l'Ancienne Gaule du VIe au XIIe Siecle_, three volumes (Paris: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 1968, 1972, 1985), I:133a. [2] Brechenmacher, Josef Karlmann, _Etymologisches Woerterbuch der deutschen Familiennamen_ (Limburg a. d. Lahn, C. A. Starke-Verlag, 1957-1960). S.n. . [3] Ko"bler, Gerhard. Althochdeutsches Wo"rterbuch. (WWW: Privately published, 1993). http://www.koeblergerhard.de/ahdwbhin.html s.v. . [4] Wilhelm Schmidt et al. _Geschichte der Deutschen Sprache_ (Berlin: Volk und Wissen Volkseigener Verlag, 1969), Section 1.2.2.3. [5] Richter, Helmut. "A Short History of the German Language". (WWW: Helmut Richter's Private Web Pages, 2003). http://www.lrz-muenchen.de/~hr/lang/dt-hist.html [6] Lexer, Matthias. Mittelhochdeutsches Handwo"rterbuch von Matthias Lexer. (WWW: BMZ Online). http://germa83.uni-trier.de/cgi-bin/gotoMWVFirstLemma.tcl?word=v% FCrst&wb=L s.vv. , . [7] Brechenmacher, op. cit. S.n. . [8] Socin, Adolf, _Mittelhochdeutsches Namenbuch. Nach oberrheinischen Quellen des 12. und 13. Jahrhunderts_ (Basel: Helbing & Lichtenhahn, 1903; Hildesheim: Georg Olms Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1966). p. 415. [9] "VI.1. Presumptuous Names: Names Claiming Rank". Rules for Submissions of the College of Arms of the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc. (WWW: SCA, Inc., March 28, 2004) http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/rfs.html#6.1