Re: Breton, Cornish & French

Chess One wrote:
> "John Briggs" <john.briggs4@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
> news:59tqj.2590$v04.2221@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>> Chess One wrote:
>>> "Bob Jones" <bobj@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
>>> news:RFogj.434$421.325@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>>
>>>>
>>>> From "The Story of the Cornish Language" by Peter Berresford Ellis
>>>> (Tor Mark Press, Redruth):
>>>
>>> Ere! That's where I was born, ansome, in Reys Druith.
>>
>> Although "Redruth" is "rid" ('ford') + "ruth" ('red').
>
> Could be! Although Red could be Reys, and Druth be Druid. Probably the
> answer lies up there on Carn Brea, itself the head of a giant
> [saetan] no? Naturally the stuff that pours out at the coast at
> Nancekuke is red, and that is about directly downriver, and would be
> tin deposit. For all practical evidence you may have it. If so, this
> word RID is incor****ated into A. Sax, which also spells it RED, with
> some several meanings of to get rid of, and flush away.

Why not actually consult some standard reference works, rather than try to

re-invent the wheel, all by yourself?

> It is interesting to also note the name of Stratford; is the 'Strat'
> A. Sax or Latinate?
>
> in A. Sax it means muddy ~ muddy crossing
> and in Latin [f. Strata] a paved or metalled road

"Straet" is Old English for 'Roman road'.

> then there is the ford business, which is from Fford, and Welsh for
> river or stream crossing.

No, that would be "rhyd" - "ford" is Old English (from West Germanic). 
They 
are (somewhat distant) cognates.

> Then this Ellis fellow, a good Cornish name. 'Eels"? [Chaucer] who
> also used Elle with the same meaning. Lest it is A. Sax by origin or
> incor****ation;-

No, "Ellis" is Middle English for 'Elias'. Hence the diminutive:"Eliot".

Look, I realise that you probably consider this cheating, but had you 
considered that I am actually checking my replies against the standard 
reference works, whereas you just make things up? It makes the whole 
exchange a bit one-sided...
-- 
John Briggs