ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 2135 http://www.s-gabriel.org/2135 ************************************ From: "Sara L Friedemann" 31 Oct 2000 Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You wanted to know if would be an appropriate name for a woman born in Scotland in the early 13th century. Here is the information we have found. Starting in the late 14th century, there were two main languages spoken in Scotland: Gaelic, spoken in the Highlands, and Scots, spoken in the Lowlands, including the royal court and towns. Gaelic was the same language spoken in Ireland at this time; Scots was closely related to contemporary English. Becaused you are interested in a name from the border of England and Scotland, we will be suggestion Scots forms as well as English forms. is a diminutive form of , and was fairly popular in both Scotland and England, making it a fine choice for your given name. We find the following spellings: [1,2] Mariot 1185, 1210, 1275, 1296 Mariota c.1250 Mariote c.1380 These are all most likely Latin forms of the name, but we're sure it also existed as in both English and Scots, a language spoken in lowland Scotland that was similar to English. [5,6,7] The spelling is the modern form of the place name. In your period, the place was usually identified just as , in one of many spellings [8]. Other spellings include [3,4,5]: Berewich 1167 Berewyk ca.1191, 1291 Berewic 1195 Berewyke 1267, 1278 Berwic 1295, 1328 Berwyic 1317 Beruyc 1320 Berwyk 1325 Berewick 1333 In one Latin document from 1229 is it called in 1229. [3] A spoken Scots form, , pronounced \MAH-ree-oht ohf BAIR-wik\, is a fine choice for your period. In written English, the name would probably have been sometime like ; in Latin, it might have been but more likely just . 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 were provided by Maridonna Benvenuti, Adelaide de Beaumont, Talan Gwynek, Effrick neyn Kennyeoch, Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn, and Juliana de Luna. For the Academy, ~Aryanhwy merch Catmael & Arval Benicoeur, 31Oct00 --------------------------------------- References & Notes: [1] Talan Gwynek, "A List of Feminine Personal Names found in Scottish Records" (WWW: J. Mittleman, 1996) http://www.panix.com/~mittle/names/talan/scottishfem/ [2] Talan Gwynek, "Feminine Given Names in _A Dictionary of English Surnames_" (SCA: KWHS Proceedings, 1994; WWW: J. Mittleman, 1997) http://www.panix.com/~mittle/names/talan/reaney/ [3] Ekwall, Eilert, _The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-names_, 4th edition (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991). s.n. Berwick [4] Reaney, P. H., & R. M. Wilson, _A Dictionary of English Surnames_ (London: Routledge, 1991; Oxford University Press, 1995). s.n. Berwick [5] Black, George F., _The Surnames of Scotland: Their Origin, Meaning and History_, (New York: The New York Public Library, 1986). s.nn. Berwick, Sutton [6] Withycombe, E.G., _The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names_, 3rd ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988). s.n. Mary [7] In Scotland, was also sometimes used as a Latinization of the Scots name or . [8] We checked about 50 modern place names of the form , and they are all recorded simply in period. There were a few exceptions like 1314, but in general this seems to have been a form used only in Latin by medieval scribes. Mills, A. D., _A Dictionary of English Place-Names_ (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991), s.n. Charlton and passim.