ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 3194 http://www.s-gabriel.org/3194 ************************************ 27 Sep 2006 From: Aryanhwy merch Catmael Greetings from the Academy of S. Gabriel! You wanted to know if is an authentic name for a Japanese noble woman living between 1320 and 1338. Here is what we have found. We found the feminine given name used during two different Japanese periods. During the Nara period (710-794), the first kanji in the name is 'China (Han Dynasty)'; was originally a name for the Yangtze river, and its meaning was extended to include all of the main part of China. [1] The name was also used during the Kamakura period (1192-1333), where the kanji are , either 'writing' or 'color harmony', and 'woman'. [2] We are not sure when during the Kamakura period was used, but we believe it's a plausible choice for your period. It would have been pronounced roughly \ah-yah-meh\. The only pre-modern example of the family name that we found is , who died in 1575. [3] Because we haven't found any earlier examples, we cannot recommend as good re-creation for the late Kamakura period, and suggest that you chose a different clan name. 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. [4] 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 . 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 Arval Benicoeur, Ursula Georges, Talan Gwynek, and Mari neyn Brian. For the Academy, -Aryanhwy merch Catmael, 27 September 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. 99 [2] Solveig Throndardottir, _Name Construction in Mediaeval Japan_ (Carlsbad, N. Mex.: The Outlaw Press, 1994; Potboiler Press, 1999 [Box 30171, Columbia, MO 65205]), pp. 199, 259 [3] "Ashida Nobumori" (WWW: Wikipedia.org, 28 June 2006) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashida_Nobumori [4] Academy of St. Gabriel Report #2587 http://www.s-gabriel.org/2587