ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 950
http://www.s-gabriel.org/950
***********************************

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


From: "S Friedemann" 
7 May 1998

Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel!

You asked for our help checking the construction, pronunciation,
suitability, and spelling of <Morgan le Dangerus> and <Morgan D'Eath> (or
<D'Eathe), which you wanted to use for a late 12th, early 13th century
English masculine persona.  You also asked what the Latin clerical forms of
the names would be.  Here is the information we have found.

We find <Morgan> used in England in 1279 [1]; this makes a fine choice for
your period.

<le Dangerus> we find in 1243-4 [1], and would thus be an appropriate
choice.  However, <D'eath(e)> is not quite so easy.  It appears likely that
such spellings are intended to distance the name from its actual source, Old
English <death>, and Middle English <de(e)th>, which mean "death."  It could
also be from the Old English <dy(th}> "tinder," which is found in the Middle
English as <deeth>. [1]  The spellings from around your period that we found
are <Deth> 1196, 1221, 1272, and <Death> late 13th century.  We suggest that
you use the spelling <Deth>, which is most authentic for your period.  It is
pronounced more or less <DAYTH>. [1]

When names like <Morgan le Dangerus> or <Morgan Deth> were written in Latin
records, the bynames (descriptive surnames) were usually left untranslated.
The Latin form of <Morgan> is <Morganus>, so your name would have been
written <Morganus le Dangerus> or <Morganus Deth>.

We hope that this letter has been useful to you and that you will not
hesitate to write again if any part was unclear or if you have further
questions.  Research and commentary on this letter was provided by Talan
Gwynek.

For the Academy,
Aryanhwy Prytydes merch Catmael Caermyrdin

---------------------------------------------------------
References:

[1] Reaney, P. H., & R. M. Wilson, _A Dictionary of English Surnames_
(London: Routledge, 1991; Oxford University Press, 1995)