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examples of how spellings of names can be altered by usage of common words
I've been thinking about how spellings can be altered by the use of common words. I might be wrong about my assumption, but Isabeau is a good example of how spellings of names can be altered by the use of common words.I don't have a specific question but if you know examples of this phenomenon and research about this phenomenon please share.
I remember encountering a similar phenomenon in the past but I can't recall what names I was thinking about at that moment.It's quite intriguing how names are influenced by our vocabulary and sometimes even by other names.
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The H in Anthony got there because of a false etymology: nobody knew where Antonius came from, so they guessed that the Greek work for a flower "must" be its origin - anthos.
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Some good examples are Ignatius, Carmen, Virginia, Tristan, Callixtus and Earnest.
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A famous example is Katharine, which originally was something like Ekaterina. Greek speakers or scholars assumed it must be related to the word "katharos," "pure," and respelled it, so we now have the spelling Katharine and many others with -th-.Supposedly Marjorie, originally Margery (from Margaret), has that spelling because people associated with the culinary herb marjoram.

This message was edited 10/29/2024, 6:45 AM

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