ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 2403 http://www.s-gabriel.org/2403 ************************************ 25 Nov 2001 From: Ursula Whitcher Greetings from the Academy of St. Gabriel! You asked us to find seventh century East Anglian names similar to the German name . You were interested in preserving either sound or meaning, and asked about combining the Old English words , or "spear", and , or "brave". Unfortunately, you have asked about a time and place where our data is slim. We have few documents from England before the early eighth century, and almost no sources for the East Anglian dialect. Thus, we must extrapolate from later sources and neighboring regions. Many Old English names consist of a beginning element, or prototheme, combined with a second element, or deuterotheme. These themes derived from normal words, but as part of names, their original meanings quickly became irrelevant. For example, a child was often named by re-using elements of his parents' names, without regard to creating a combination with a sensible meaning. The element was used as a prototheme, though it was relatively rare; we found only the names , , , and in Britain around your time period. (The {dh} in represents the letter edh, which looks like a backward 6 with a crossbar on the riser.) [1, 2, 3, 4] The element was quite a common deuterotheme; we found several names that used it, including , , , and . [5] However, we did not find any evidence that the name was used in Britain during your period. Though it is not an impossible construction, we cannot recommend that you use it, especially since names beginning with were so uncommon. You may be interested in the similar name , which was used in East Anglia before the Norman conquest. [4] We believe this name was pronounced \GAR-mund\ with \u\ as in . The deuterotheme comes from a word which means "protector", so originally had the sense "spear protector". [6] Of course, just as we do not expect that a modern girl named will be particularly graceful, seventh-century East Anglians would not have expected a man named to work as a guard or carry an especially big spear. If you are particularly interested in using the name , you may wish to consider a different region or period. The name or was common around your time period in the areas that are now France and Germany. [7] The form was also used in England after the Norman conquest. [8,9] 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 Adelaide de Beaumont, Arval Benicoeur, Talan Gwynek, Dietmar von Straubing, Aryanhwy merch Catmael, Margaret Makafee, and Julie Stampnitzky. For the Academy, Ursula Georges 25 November 2001 References: [1] Hilmer Stro"m, _Old English Personal Names in Bede's History: An Etymological-Phonological Investigation_, Lund Studies in English 8, (Lund: C.W.K. Gleerup, 1939). p. 17. , , and [2] William George Searle, _Onomasticon Anglo-Saxonicum_ (Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, 1897). s.n. Garwulf. Nine instances of this name. [3] O. von Feilitzen, _The Pre-Conquest Personal Names of Domesday Book_ (Uppsala: 1937). s.n. Garwine. A Domesday Book Tempori Regis Edwardi instance of , recorded in the Domesday Book as in the genitive and as . Feilitzen notes that the only pre-Domesday Book instance of this name is , a moneyer under {AE}lfred. It's possible that this name is not Old English: moneyers were often from the Continent, and there is a Continental Germanic cognate. [4] Bo Selte/n, _The Anglo-Saxon Heritage in Middle English Personal Names_, Volume 2. (Lund, Sweden: Royal Society of Letters at Lund, 1979). s.n. Garmund. [5] Selte/n. s.nn. {AE}{dh}elheard, Burgheard, Stanheard, Wigheard, Wilheard, Wulfheard, and Wuduheard. The last of these is not attested in pre-Conquest sources. [6] Stro"m, 28f. The other meanings of are "bright" and "peace". [7] Morlet, Marie-Therese, _Les Noms de Personne sur le Territoire de l'Ancienne Gaule du VIe au XIIe Siecle_, (Paris: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 1972) volume I, 99b. Geirardus 978, 996 Gerhardus 9th-10th c. Gerhartus Gerehardus 9th c. Kerhardus 9th-10th c. Kerhardo Gherardus 9th-10th c. Gerardus 806, 899, 909 Girardus 886, 944, 12th c. Jirart 910-27 Jerardus 990 [8] P. H. Reaney & R. M. Wilson, _A Dictionary of English Surnames_ s.n. Gerard. temp. Henry II and 1219. [9] E.G. Withycombe, _The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names_, 3rd ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988) s.n. Gerard.