Message: "Re: Berengar(ia)"

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Re: Berengar(ia)

by Nanaea

6/4/2001, 9:21 PM

You probably already found this website while doing a 'net search:

http://www.thebabyoutlet.com/html/additional_channels/names/girls_b.html

...where it defines "Berengaria" as meaning "spearbearer maid". How reliable that is, I dunno. I'll check a few other resources tomorrow, but I don't have anything handy that covers obsolete medieval names right now.

Cool topic posting, Daividh. Interesting challenge! :)

-- Nanaea

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- Mike C +2

6/5/2001, 1:03 AM

I came across a website which claims beren means "bear" in early Low German. That would make Berengar a dithematic name meaning "bear spear".

Unfortunately the website is now defunct, so the link below points to Google's cache:
http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:BIpcy4-chSU:www1.tip.nl/~t401243/names/name4_en.htm+beren+germanic+root&hl=en

- Daividh (guest) +1

6/5/2001, 6:31 PM

Mike, this seems the most plausible meaning offered. Sounds good to me! You get a point for that one... : )

- Nanaea

6/5/2001, 8:17 PM

Mike's theory checks out via this source, too

From *The Classic 1000 Baby Names* (Foulsham of London, c1993):

Berengaria (Teutonic) "Spearer of bears".

Berengar (Teutonic) "Bear, spear".

-- Nanaea

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