[NS-Heralds] Name Help

[Sara L Uckelman]

Quoth Bronwyn Noble:
> That's one possible pronunciation, but I would vote for "dennis" or "denise"
>  The byname Atwood would have been pronounced exactly as written.  "Atte

Only after the Great Vowel Shift 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Vowel_Shift). Prior to that, 
Middle English <oo> was closer to long \o\, as in <note>.  

> wood" died out very early on -- in fact I only had one "atte"-something in
> the 900-year range of a project I'm just finished up and that was very
> early. 

<Atte> bynames can be found through the end of our period; in 
Exeter in 1489, I have examples of the byname <Attewyll> (also
spelled <Attwyll> and <Atwyll>) (see
http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/english/exeter1489.html), and in
in the 1576 subsidy roll of London, the form <Atteslowe> is recorded
in Cripplegate ward (the same person is listed in the 1582 subsidy
roll with the spelling <Atslowe>) (see 
http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/english/tudorlondon.pdf).

-Aryanhwy



 
-- 
vita sine literis mors est
http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/