Re: Surname 'Knyvett' etc. and OFr 'c(a)nivet'

From: Arnaud Fournet
Message: 60756
Date: 2008-10-10

----- Original Message -----
From: "Brian M. Scott" <BMScott@...>
>
> The surname <Knivett> (<Knyvett>, <Knevet>, etc.) is usually
> explained as in the following entry from Reaney & Wilson, A
> Dictionary of English Surnames, OUP, 1995; angle brackets
> for italics in the original):
>
> The AFr problems with OE /x/ are real enough: spellings show
> that it could be replaced with /k/ or /s/ or dropped
> altogether (e.g., <cnict>, <cnist>, <kneit>).
=======
I suppose AFr stands for Old French !?

I'm not sure you are on the right track.

these writings <cnict>, <cnist>, <kneit> suggest they rhymed with -i:-t
or -ij-t,
there was no -h-t. /x/ was already dead at the time of those writings.
Cf. fait /fä/ written faict, dit /di/ written dict.

Arnaud
===========