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in reply to a message by Maeve Celyn
is from 'mine Edward' (mine being a common term of address around the 1600s/1700s, a bit like 'my dear Edward' today) becoming 'mine Ed' and then 'my Ned'. The same for Nan (Anne), Nell (Ellen, ELeanor), Noll (Oliver), Nab (Abraham), Namby (Ambrose), giving eventually the term 'namby-pamby'.
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Similarly, the snake we know as an adder used to be a nadder.
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