ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 3156 http://www.s-gabriel.org/3156 ************************************ 8 Aug 2006 From: Aryanhwy merch Catmael Greetings from the Academy of S. Gabriel! You wanted to know if is an appropriate name for a buke-class Japanese woman living between 1000 and 1600. Here is the information we have found. is a fine choice for your given name; we find it recorded in 1182 in the Hei'an period. [1] However, this name does not mean 'star', as you believe, but is rather a compound of the kanji 'ministerial deputy' and , which was commonly found at the end of the names of high ranking women. [2] We have not found any names during your period which used the element 'star'. [3] was pronounced roughly \ho-shee\. We found the surname , but in the Muromachi period (1336-1573), and not the Hei'an period. [4] was pronounced roughly \mah-tsoo-dye-rah\, where the vowel in \dye\ is the diphthong \AH-ee\. The word , pronounced roughly like the identical English word, indicates possession. It was never written in names, but was customarily inserted in speech to indicate membership in a family, marital relationship, or ownership of land. [5] The construction is a fine construction for your period, but it would have been used only in speech, and the name would have been written just . However, because we haven't found in the Muromachi period, or in the Hei'an period, we cannot recommend was good re-creation. If you would like to consider a different surname or given name, please let us know whether you're more interested in the Hei'an period or the Muromachi period, and we'll be happy to recommend choices suitable for either. 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 Talan Gwynek, Mari neyn Brian, and Ursula Georges. For the Academy, -Aryanhwy merch Catmael, 08 August 2006 -- References: [1] Solveig Throndardottir, _Name Construction in Mediaeval Japan_ (Carlsbad, N. Mex.: The Outlaw Press, 1994; Potboiler Press, 1999 [Box 30171, Columbia, MO 65205]), p. 376 [2] ibid., pp. 195, 197 [3] 'Star' is not among the celestial objects listed in Solveig's thematic dictionary, nor does it appear in the alphabetical semantic index of [1]. [4] Solveig, op. cit., p. 322 [5] Academy of St. Gabriel Report #2587 http://www.s-gabriel.org/2587