Academy of Saint Gabriel Report 828

Academy of Saint Gabriel Report 828

This report is available at http://www.s-gabriel.org/828

Some of the Academy's early reports contain errors that we haven't yet corrected. Please use it with caution.

Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel!

You asked for our opinion of <Cynric Wyn> as an early Welsh name. Here is what we have found.

Your choice is nearly perfect. <Cynric> isn't quite right; the most similar Welsh name that we found is <Cynwrig> or <Cynfrig>, pronounced \KUN-wrik\ or \KUN-vrik\. The \w\ in the first pronunciation is not silent; it is pronounced as in <with>. The name was in use at least as early as 1093, and is recorded in various spellings [1, 3]:

Kenewricus 1304
Kenewreik 1304
Ken(eric) 1292-3
Kener(ic) 1292-3
Kenewr(ic) 1292-3
Kenewrek 1292-3
Kenewric 1292-3
Kenner(ic) 1292-3
Kenuric 1292-3
Kenwric 1292-3

The letters in parenthesis are expansions of abbreviations in the original documents. By far the most common spelling around 1300 was <Kenuric>.

Your byname is perfect. It means "white" or "pale" and is recorded in 1292-3 in three forms: <Wyn>, <Win>, and <Wen>. Any of them is appropriate for your name.

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 Talan Gwynek.

For the Academy,

Arval Benicoeur


References

[1] Morgan, T.J. and Prys Morgan, _Welsh Surnames_ (CArdiff: University of

Wales Press, 1985).

[2] Gruffudd, Heini, _Enwau i'r Cymry/Welsh Personal Names_ (Talybont: Y

Lolfa, 1984).

[3] Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasfryn, "Names and Naming Practices in the

Merioneth Lay Subsidy Roll 1292-3", in Known World Heraldic Symposium Proceedings, 1991 (SCA: Laurel, Maryland, 1991).