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Most of my books (and I have too many) are fairly vague about the origin of Lilian. Oxford and Penguin, which are the ones I'm most inclined to trust, both agree that it developed from Elizabeth in the late 16th century. Oxford describes it as a "nursery form".

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But Penguin says that before this, it was "already known in Italy in the form Liliana". Now Liliana developing from Elisabetta doesn't seem so plausible. Could it simply be from "lilium" after all, as BtN suggests?

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♥Elinor♥

This message was edited 7/11/2007, 7:06 AM