ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 3045 http://www.s-gabriel.org/3045 ************************************ 16 May 2005 From: Gunnvor Silfraharr (no address) Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked about as the name of a Swedish woman between 1300 and 1500, and also enquired about a byname such as , "artist or painter" or , a locative byname with a placename referring to sea-water. Here is what we found. Throughout this letter, we'll use some special notation for letters that we can't easily include here. The notation {ae} represents an a-e ligature, which looks like the letters and pushed together. The slash represents an acute accent mark on the preceding letter. is one of many related Scandinavian names from Latin and , which then gave rise to two main Swedish types, and , and a host of variants. Taking your period as a whole, the best choices are probably <{AE}lin> and , though , , and <{AE}lina> are also fairly frequent. is a fairly rare variant. We found examples of the spelling in 1456, 1479, 1491, and 1492 [1]. Based on these dates, the spelling might be appropriate only for the end of your period. . <{AE}lin> is pronounced roughly \A-leen\, where \A\ is the vowel of ; is pronounced roughly \EH-leen\, tending towards \AY-leen\. You mentioned that you did not wish to have a patronymic byname indicating who your father was, or a byname identifying your husband, but rather a descriptive or locative byname. The most common type of byname used in your period is a patronymic. The second most common type of byname is one based in one of several possible ways on the husband's name. The third is a simple prepositional locative. Descriptive bynames were found occasionally. We found Swedish examples in your period of all these constructions [2]. The normal construction of bynames based on locations was to combine the preposition "in, of" with the name of the location in the dative case. Other prepositions meaning "in, of" are also found [2], but in general or is the safest choice, and is pronounced \ee\. We were unable to find a placename similar to . The Old Norse element <-vatn>, "water", does occur in many Scandinavian placenames, but it is usually used to refer to lakes [4]. The best way to indicate that you dwell by the sea is to use a placename from a location that was on the coast. There are many locative bynames recorded that include placenames that contain elements that refer specifically to locations near the ocean. Some of these include [2, 7]: OSw (ON "a ness, a headland") 1385 1396 1392, 1409 1400 1413 1441 [1442] 1445 1446 1451 (a dative plural) 1453 1457 1465 1473 1474 1483 OSw (ON "a holm, an islet") 1408 1491 OSw, ON ("a strait, a sound") 1386, 1469 1424 1425 1445 1447 1454 1456 1481 [1501] 1518 The notation represents the character o-slash. In your period, the language in use was Old Swedish, which has a masculine byname , meaning "painter, artist" [8]. The feminine form of this byname is [9], pronounced roughly \MAW-lehr-sk@\, where \eh\ is the sound of in and , and \@\ represents the sound of in and . 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, Talan Gwynek, Arval Benicoeur, and Ursula Georges. For the Academy, Gunnvor Silfraharr 16 May 2005 ----------------------------------------------------- References [1] Sveriges Medeltida Personnamn. (WWW: Spra*k- och folkminnesinstitutet. Accessed 24 Apr 2005). http://www.dal.lu.se/sofi/smp/smp.htm S.n. . [2] Examining examples in Sveriges Medeltida Personnamn (s.n. , see note [1]) revealed several non-patronymic byname types with dates in the range 1300-1500. While patronymic bynames outnumber other types of bynames in this data, there are still quite a few non-patronymic bynames. Some of these women are also in record with plain patronymics, though this is not noted in the data below; we also have not marked the few cases in which two of the forms listed below refer to the same woman. In some instances, the forename is not in the nominative case form, and we've placed asterisks (*) by these to mark them. Some abbreviations used below include ON=Old Norse, OSw=Old Swedish, Sw=Swedish, MLG=Middle Low German. Prepositional locative byname: Elena de Windistenum 1312 (The preposition is Latin, but the place-name is inflected properly for OSw.) *Elin j Helien{ae}ss 1368 Elina i Symona hwlte 1391 aff *Eline ij Laghatorpe, Elin 1397 *{AE}line j Bonsta 1399 af *Eline a Nesi 1399 *{AE}line j Hallarso| 1400x30 [3] epther hustrv *Eline i Konaby 1408 {AE}lin i Sk{ae}ggistom, Elin 1409 frw Helena aff Lindho|o| 1413 {AE}lin j Akerby 1437 *Elin{ae} j Findzstadha 1453 til hustrv {AE}lin j Ho|gsta 1458 {AE}lin j Broby gardin 1461 {AE}lin j Eeka 1465 {AE}lin j W{ae}straekeby 1471 *Helenes j Findstadha 1473 {AE}lin j Quindista 1479 frve Elne aff K{ae}ltist{ae}de 1479 [aff] *{AE}lyn j Herborom 1481 Elin i Benktz torpt 1483 Elin aff Serkilax [1488] [3] *Eline i porten 1493 "in the gate" (This is the only clearly topographical locative.) Elin i Suidhia [1494] Elinn j Rottorpp [1495] Patronymic with prepositional locative byname: {AE}lyn P{ae}t{ae}rsdottyr aff Myclathorpy 1376 {AE}lin Gerekobrudd{ae} jj Sk{ae}ninge 1377 Elin Byt{ae}roghsdotter af Helien{ae}ss 1378 {AE}lin Ragwalsdotter aff Foghlasunde 1381 {AE}lin Elefsdotter i Konnby 1403 A"lin Petharsdotter i Aby [1410] aff {AE}line Ragwaldzdotther i Gamla Upsala 1418 *Elyne Ragualz dottir aff Gambla Vpsalom n.d. Elin Nielsa dotter j Akarlaby 1482 Elin Azarss dotter i Sla"dabroo [1483] Elyne Ages dother paa Stensholm 1484 The represents an a-umlaut. Byname is a masculine forename in the genitive; most likely in virtually all cases this is the husband's name. {AE}len Stigx 1419 {AE}lin Torkils 1421 aff *Eline Haldens 1438 {AE}lin Daghx 1462 Krokx vx. Elin 1468 "Krok"s wife Elin" Elin Berndes 1469 Eln{ae} Jnghis 1472 *Eline O|dhbio|rs 1473 *Elin Krokx 1477 Elin Hillolffs 1492 ON , OSw The notation represents the character o-slash. Byname is a masculine forename in the genitive apparently preceded by the man's nickname: {AE}lin Longabio|rns 1460 (This seems to be "long Biorn"s".) Elyn Lidzsle B{ae}rendz 1469 (This one seems to be "little Bernd"s", from .) Byname is a masculine name in the nominative: {AE}lin Tidheco 1373 MLG , , etc. {AE}lin Holenger 1409 (Very possibly a variant of the masc. name [5]) Byname is a masculine byname in the genitive; in many cases it's known to be the husband's byname, and we believe this is the case that it is in virtually all of these examples: *{AE}lene Opl{ae}ningx 1385 Elin tollarens 1428 (married to Henricus tollare) vx. Eline gillesuens 1461 Elin Smekres 1463 Eline sadelmakers 1464 "saddlemaker"s" Eline Smekris 1465 Elin Bl{ae}sens 1465 Elin Kokx 1469 Elin offuerski{ae}rarens 1476 (Judging from Danish , her husband was "one who cuts cloth after it has been woven".) Elin Porzo|lls 1478 (married to Laris Porso|ll) effter hustrv *Eline Koks 1478 Elin Ekerholtz 1478 (married to Hans {AE}kerholth) Elin Fynckenbergx 1479 aff *Eln{ae} scinders 1483 "skinner"s" aff *{AE}lne Graboss 1488 (widow of Gert Graabo) Elin Karandz 1490 *Elyne Skr{ae}ma 1492 (possibly married to Pedher Skrem) *Eline bagares 1495 (married to Jacob bagare "baker") ner Elin Swartes 1495 (married to Mikkel Swarte) Byname is the husband's full name with his forename uninflected and his byname in the genitive: Elin Jo|rien Schilthogers 1441 *Eline Clauus Foos 1443 {AE}lin Henrik Bloks 1450 Elin Swen Persons 1479 Elin Aruidh Hogenssons 1481 vxor Elin Olaff Japssons 1482 vxor Elin Hanis Japssons 1482 vxor Elin Jenis Japssons 1483 Elin Per Marckmans 1484 *Elin Berendh Hakes 1487 Elin{ae} Anders mo|lleres 1492 Byname is the husband's full name with his forename in the genitive: *{AE}line Tho|rghilza W{ae}sgo|ta 1409 ; Sw "man from Va"stergo"tland". *Eline Martins skr{ae}dara 1443 ; Sw "tailor". Byname is the husband's uninflected byname followed by his forename in the genitive: Elena skiper Ragualdz a.1421 OSw ; Sw "skipper". Byname is a non-patronymic, non-marital relational byname: *{AE}lene O|ndz syster 1399 ( is a Sw cognate of ON .) Byname is the husband's uninflected byname: Elena Ofwradi 1329 {AE}lyn Rokskute 1453 Eline Galen 1460 Eline Prest 1461 "priest" Eline Rytersteke 1461 Elin Rask 1463 "quick, speedy" Elin Foderlade 1464 Eline Rosskute 1465 Elin Klocstreng 1468 "bellpull" Elin Rogskuta 1471 *Eline Swsabemba 1485 aff Elene Dwse 1487 Byname is an uninflected byname which likely describes the woman herself: Elina Deyia 1390 ON "servant-maid, dairymaid", OSw , , Sw "dairymaid, milkmaid" Elin bryggerske 1462 "breweress" [6] Elyn so|mkona 1465 "seamstress" Elin Kattahierne 1477 "cat-head" (Sw "brain") til Elin Huitfota 1491 "whitefoot" [3] The date notation 1400x30 indicates that the name is found in one example between 1400 and 1430. A date enclosed in square brackets indicates that the citation is from a copy of later date. [4] Academy of St. Gabriel Report #2930 http://www.s-gabriel.org/2930 [5] Knudsen Gunnar, Marius Kristiansen, & Rikard Hornby, _Danmarks Gamle Personnavne_, Vol. I: Fornavne (Copenhagen: 1936-48). S.n. . [6] Svenska Adademoens Ordbok. (WWW: OSA-projektet, 2005). http://g3.spraakdata.gu.se/saob/ S.n. . [7] Sveriges Medeltida Personnamn, op. cit. (see note [1]), s.nn. , . The names and were very popular names, and we found several bynames indicating a coastal dwelling in the examples listed for each. Locative bynames that appear to have OSw (ON "a ness, a headland") as simplex or generic: B{ae}ndicter Girwatzson j L{ae}nnes 1385 Beynt i N{ae}s 1409 Bencht Joonson i Arn{ae}s 1413 Bendt Oleffson i Karnees [1442] Bengt Jo|nsson j N{ae}siom 1451 (a dative plural, "of the Nesses") Biorn a Nesi 1333 Byo|rn i N{ae}s 1392 Biorn ij Nees 1396 Byo|rn Jo|nisson j N{ae}s 1400 Bio|rn j Lang{ae}n{ae}s 1441 Bio|rn i Grimenes 1445 Biorn j Grimanes 1483 Bio|rn Nielsson j Vtn{ae}s 1446 Bio|rn i Bierkenes 1453 Biorne j Stwmzsnes 1457 Bio|rn i Grimenes 1465 Biorn Joanson j Duwen{ae}s 1473 Bio|rn j Dwffuan{ae}s 1474 Locative bynames that appear to have OSw (ON "a holm, an islet") as generic: B{ae}ncht P{ae}dharson ij Midholma 1408 Bent Bill{ae} j So|holm 1491 Locative bynames that have OSw, ON ("a strait, a sound") as simplex or generic: B{ae}nkt Rawalsson j Swinoswnde 1447 Benctth Karlssenn ij Wlffssunda [1501] Bencth Arendhson j Eck{ae}lsundh 1518 Biorn aff Hwlfsunde [1355] Byo|rn Jensson i Vlffswnde 1424 Bio|rn i Eldasunde 1425 Bio|rn j Sundhe 1445 Bio|rn j {AE}lffwaswnd 1454 Byo|rn Jensson j Vlssunda 1456 Locative bynames that have OSw, ON as specific: B{ae}knth j Swndby 1481 Byorn j Sundby 1386 Bio|rn j Sundby 1469 [8] Knudsen, Kristiansen, & Hornby, op. cit. S.n. . [9] Svenska Adademoens Ordbok, op. cit. S.nn. , . Modern Swedish has such feminine forms as , from "a painter", and "breweress". Since is a normal 15th century form of modern , is an exact parallel to the 1462 spelling in the data given in note [2].