Re: "Cowan" and patronymics generally

[Andrew Smith <hobbit@mail.earthlight.co.nz>]

On Sat, 4 Apr 1998, Raymond A. Brown wrote:

> Ye-e-s - I find it difficult to imagine [f] being dropped. I assume it's
> not so much the /m/ of /map/ which is dropped as the /v/ of /vap/, since
> initial /v/ is not uncommonly dropped.  Voiced fricatives have a habit of
> disappearing as anyone trying to follow Andalucian Spanish will very soon
> discover!
>
I think what has happened to Llewan is that fei- has been swallowed and -l
prefixed to Iewan with phonetic rules applied.  Similar to Price being
derived from ap Rhys.
> 
> These nicknames varied, some were patronymics (e.g. Johnson, Thomspon), but
> others referred to trade (e.g. Smith, Carter, Wainwright) and color of
> complexion, hair or whatever (e.g. Brown, White, Black and even Green; and
> Welsh gives us "Gough" <-- Goch = red); some referred to locality (e.g.
> Atwell, Bywater, Underhill) and the origin of some surnames, e.g. Gotobed
> (Yes, pronounced 'go to bed') are lost in the midst of time.  I imagine the
> same richness of surnames are found among the Kemr.  (Andrew: Did the Kemr
> aristocracy use the Norman prefix 'fitz' to surname their bastards?)
>
Sort of like Jones the Spy....  'fitz' might have become used among the
aristocracy, but it would not be common or usual.  Early Welsh law made it
clear that a father was responsible for a child's upbringing and
legitimacy was not an issue.

- andrew.

Andrew Smith                                  <hobbit@earthlight.co.nz>
Life is short, so am I...