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ArchivesBreton, perhaps?
Or maybe not ... I've carelessly lost my newspaper clipping, so this might be too vague - apologies!
There is a French women's hockey team (field hockey to our Western Hemisphere friends) touring South Africa; an age-group side, I think. And one of these ladies has the given name of Gwenaelle, or something very like it. Trying to pronounce it in French sprained my vocal tract, and trying to work out a derivation did the same for my brain. Has anyone ever seen something like this? Miss Claire and/or Merriment if she's around would be likely helpers, but not the only ones!
Thanks
There is a French women's hockey team (field hockey to our Western Hemisphere friends) touring South Africa; an age-group side, I think. And one of these ladies has the given name of Gwenaelle, or something very like it. Trying to pronounce it in French sprained my vocal tract, and trying to work out a derivation did the same for my brain. Has anyone ever seen something like this? Miss Claire and/or Merriment if she's around would be likely helpers, but not the only ones!
Thanks
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Replies
Gwenaelle is indeed a Breton name, the female form of Gwenael. Both are pron. the same: gweh- nah-el (e like men, pet...).
~~ Claire ~~
My ! are Alia, Eidel, Enola, Israel, Dudel, Yuri, Lina, Lorelei, Leilani, Owen, Julian, Glorinda, Mirinda
My ? are Hillel, Meshullam, Johnny, Ginny, Cordelia, Fiammetta, Yocheved
My ~ are Tehila, Tilda, Hailey, Gillian, Huldah
My / are Aglaia and July
~~ Claire ~~
My ! are Alia, Eidel, Enola, Israel, Dudel, Yuri, Lina, Lorelei, Leilani, Owen, Julian, Glorinda, Mirinda
My ? are Hillel, Meshullam, Johnny, Ginny, Cordelia, Fiammetta, Yocheved
My ~ are Tehila, Tilda, Hailey, Gillian, Huldah
My / are Aglaia and July
1
Oops
I left out the last bit: it was always my understanding that Breton names were actively discouraged in France and didn't appear on the official lists. Do French parents now have a freer hand in naming their children, or was I mistaken from the start?
I did read, years ago, about an English woman who had a son in France inadvertently and had to name him Henri instead of Henry, or was it Pierre instead of Peter. You get the point anyway.
I left out the last bit: it was always my understanding that Breton names were actively discouraged in France and didn't appear on the official lists. Do French parents now have a freer hand in naming their children, or was I mistaken from the start?
I did read, years ago, about an English woman who had a son in France inadvertently and had to name him Henri instead of Henry, or was it Pierre instead of Peter. You get the point anyway.
1
It used to be that a French's child "official" name had to be taken from a government list of Catholic names. I don't know exactly when this rule was changed.
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In 1966 the law was changed and names from mythology, names in regional languages (Occitan, Catalan, Basque, etc.), compound names and some nickanmes was allowed.
In 1981, a disposition of Cour de Cassation (June 10th 1981) pointed out the needlessness of the presence of the name in a name list, saint list, calendar, etc.
In 1993, the law (the current law) forbides only names against the child's dignity and interest.
Lumia
http://onomastica.mailcatala.com
In 1981, a disposition of Cour de Cassation (June 10th 1981) pointed out the needlessness of the presence of the name in a name list, saint list, calendar, etc.
In 1993, the law (the current law) forbides only names against the child's dignity and interest.
Lumia
http://onomastica.mailcatala.com
1
Thanks for the info!
1
There are no lists anymore, you can name your child what you want as long as you can prove the name exists :)
~~ Claire ~~
My ! are Alia, Eidel, Enola, Israel, Dudel, Yuri, Lina, Lorelei, Leilani, Owen, Julian, Glorinda, Mirinda
My ? are Hillel, Meshullam, Johnny, Ginny, Cordelia, Fiammetta, Yocheved
My ~ are Tehila, Tilda, Hailey, Gillian, Huldah
My / are Aglaia and July
~~ Claire ~~
My ! are Alia, Eidel, Enola, Israel, Dudel, Yuri, Lina, Lorelei, Leilani, Owen, Julian, Glorinda, Mirinda
My ? are Hillel, Meshullam, Johnny, Ginny, Cordelia, Fiammetta, Yocheved
My ~ are Tehila, Tilda, Hailey, Gillian, Huldah
My / are Aglaia and July
1