Re: "Cowan" and patronymics generally

[John Cowan <cowan@locke.ccil.org>]

Andrew Ferreir yscrifef:

> 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.

Exactly so, quoth he.

> Early Welsh law made it
> clear that a father was responsible for a child's upbringing and
> legitimacy was not an issue.

Just so.  In Welsh law (and therefore Kemrese law as well) a son
was a son and could inherit, whether born in or out of wedlock,
as long as he was acknowledged as such by his father.
This differs both from the Roman law (legitimatio per subsequens
matrimonium), which is the law of Scotland today, and the
English law which admitted no legitimation whatever.

This difference between Welsh and English law is the turning point
of one of Ellis Peters's Brother Cadfael mysteries.

BTW, "Cadfael" is an exceedingly rare name in Welsh history (only
one person is recorded as bearing it), but I think it would be
nice for it to appear on the List of Official Brithenig Names.

-- 
John Cowan	http://www.ccil.org/~cowan		cowan@ccil.org
	You tollerday donsk?  N.  You tolkatiff scowegian?  Nn.
	You spigotty anglease?  Nnn.  You phonio saxo?  Nnnn.
		Clear all so!  'Tis a Jute.... (FW 16.5)