hellog〜英語史ブログ / 2023-10-31

■ #5300. 古英語にみられるケルト系人名 [celtic][name_project][onomastics][personal_name][oe]

　5世紀にアングロサクソン人がブリテン島に渡来したとき，先住のケルト人からの言語的影響は僅少だったというのがイギリス史や英語史の伝統的な説である．ケルト系言語の英語への貢献としては，地名を除けば見るところはほとんどない，というのが典型的な英語史書での記述である．このように地名は例外であるとよく言われるが，もう1種類の固有名詞である人名についてはどうなのだろう．そもそもこの問いは思い浮かべたことすらなかった．Clark がこの件について興味深い1節を書いている．

The name Cædmon borne by the father of English religious verse represents a Welsh reflex of British *Catumandos ( . . . British Catu- is cognate with OE Heaðo- 'battle'); and its form suggests a structural compatibility between Celtic and Germanic types of name . . . . Despite his English cultural identity, Cædmon might, as an ox-herd, be supposed descended from an enslaved people. However, British names also appear among English royalty, including, for instance, the Cerdic (Welsh Ceredig < British *Coroticos), Ceawlin, Ceadda and Ceadwalla (Welsh Cadwallen) found in the Early West Saxon genealogies . . . . The element Cæd-/Cead- reappears in the names of two seventh-century brothers, both bishops, Cedd and Ceadda . . . . The name Cumbra . . . . current among West-Saxon nobility represents Welsh Cymro < British *Combrogos 'Welshman'. Taken with the story of Vortigern's invitation . . . . and with the archaeological evidence mentioned, such names imply that the first settlers arrived pacifically, perhaps married into Romano-British nobility, and sometimes names their sons in compliment to their hosts . . . . Assuming any such names necessarily indicate British blood would go well beyond the evidence; but their adoption by English royalty must mean respect for Celtic traditions.

　ケルト系の名前を帯びたアングロサクソン系の王侯貴族がいたということは，先住ケルト人たちに対して彼らへの「リスペクト」があったということを含意する --- なかなか刺激的な指摘である．

　・ Clark, Cecily. "Onomastics." The Cambridge History of the English Language. Vol. 1. Ed. Richard M. Hogg. Cambridge: CUP, 1992. 452--89.

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