Re: Under the Spreading Chestnut Tree...

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

On Mon, 20 Apr 1998, John Cowan wrote:

> Pedr e Padrig yscrifent:
> 
> > > Andrew:  I notice your use of Fferreir, as Smith presumably.  In English, a
> > > farrier is a smith who specializes in horseshoes.  Does Brithenig not
> > > distinguish?  or are you partial to horses?
> > 
> > Perhaps Andrew Gowan? or similar?
> 
> Actually, I gave Andrew that name, after looking up "smith" in the
> online Latin dictionary and finding "ferrarius" = "ironworker".
> 
Ferrarius survives in English as Farrier where the iron worked is
specifically a horseshoe.  It is also used as a surname.  In my list of
words it means 'blacksmith', which is close enough for me.  I adopted it
because John was kind enough to christen me with it (and no kind deed
should go unpunished), although I have this habit of respelling other
people's neologism to suit me.

Ffawr also exists to mean smith and probably Gofan can be posited to have
survived as a surname.

- andrew fferreir.

Andrew Smith					<hobbit@earthlight.co.nz>

MAN, despite his artistic pretensions, his sophistication, and his many
accomplishments; still owes his existence to a six-inch layer of topsoil
and the fact that it rains.
							   - Anonymous