From: Terje Ellefsen
Message: 4059
Date: 2004-01-17
>From: "William Calhoun" <kubrick36@...>_________________________________________________________________
>Reply-To: norse_course@yahoogroups.com
>To: norse_course@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: RE: [norse_course] Jed re Eric Gass and 'ham'
>Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2004 22:00:59 -0500
>
>
>hamlet:
>Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French hamelet, diminutive of ham
>village, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English hAm village, home
>Thanks to Merriam-Webster OnLine
>If ham (or rather hamlet) is of Germanic origin than perhaps it did come
>from Norse to Engl.ish through Middle French. The Norse Vikings did indeed
>raid medieval France and were the founders of Normandy, where Old Norse
>mixed a tiny bit with French (I believe there is a French word for 'ring'
>similar to and rooted in the Old Norse 'baugr'). Normans were Norse that
>assimilated into French culture. I don't know if that helps!
>-Willliam
>
>
>
> >From: "Gerald Mcharg" <Gerald.Mcharg@...>
> >Reply-To: norse_course@yahoogroups.com
> >To: <norse_course@yahoogroups.com>
> >Subject: [norse_course] Jed re Eric Gass and 'ham'
> >Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2004 22:55:56 -0000
> >
> >Eric
> >
> >I'm not too sure about place-names in 'ham' having a Norse derivation.
> >
> >I believe that 'ham' is one of the earlier place-name elements to be
>found
> >in Old English charters of the seventh century; 'tons' as a rule, occur
>in
> >later charters.
> >If anyone is interested in this, the authorities to consult are Joliffe,
> >Stenton and Granville.
> >
> >I haven't really looked at the distribution of 'hams' in Britain, so I
> >can't say whether they predominate in the north. I do know that they
>occur
> >far less frequently than the 'ton' settlements and that the implications
>of
> >this could be that they were early administrative or political centres
>for
> >their respective regions.
> >
> >Anyhow, if there is a chance for an informed discussion on this, I would
> >like to hear other opinions.
> >
> >Cheers
> >Jed Mc Harg
>
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