Two phonetic phenomena should also be noticed. One is the regular
insertion of n before the ending -ger, as in Firminger (Chapter XV),
Massinger (Chapter XX), Pottinger (Chapter XVIII), and in Arminger,
Clavinger, from the latinized armiger, esquire, and claviger,
mace-bearer, etc. (Chapter XV). The other is the fact that many
occupative names ending in -rer lose the -er by dissimilation (Chapter
III). Examples are Armour for armourer, Barter for barterer, Buckler
for bucklerer, but also for buckle-maker, Callender for calenderer,
one who calendered, i.e. pressed, cloth
"And my good friend the Callender
Will lend his horse to go."
(John Gilpin, 1. 22)--
Coffer, for cofferer, a treasurer, Cover, for coverer, i.e. tiler, Fr.
couvreur, when it does not correspond to Fr. cuvier, i.e. a maker of
coves, vats, Ginger, Grammer, for grammarer, Paternoster, maker of
paternosters or rosaries, Pepper, Sellar, for cellarer (Chapter III),
Tabor, for Taberer, player on the taber. Here also belongs Treasure,
for treasurer. Salter is sometimes for sautrier, a player on the
psaltery. We have the opposite process in poulterer for Pointer
(Chapter II), and caterer for Cator (Chapter III).
NAMES FROM WARES
Such names as Ginger, Pepper, may however belong to the class of
nicknames conferred on dealers in certain commodities; cf. Pescod,
Peskett, from pease-cod. Of this we have several examples which can
be confirmed by foreign parallels, e.g. Garlick, found in German as
Knoblauch, [Footnote: The cognate Eng. Clove-leek occurs as a surname
in the Ramsey Chartulary.] Straw, represented in German by the
cognate name Stroh, and Pease, which is certified by Fr. Despois. We
find Witepease in the twelfth century.
Especially common are those names which deal with the two staple foods
of the country, bread and beer. In German we find several compounds
of Brot, bread, and one of the greatest of chess-players bore the
amazing name Zuckertort, sugar-tart. In French we have such names as
Painchaud, Painleve, Pain-tendre--
"Eugene Aram was usher, in 1744, to the Rev. Mr. Painblanc, in
Piccadilly"
(Bardsley).
Hence our Cakebread and Whitbread were probably names given to bakers.
Simnel is explained in the same way, and Lambert Simnel is understood
to have been a baker's lad, but the name could equally well be from
Fr. Simonel, dim. of Simon. Wastall is found in the Hundred Rolls as
Wasted, Old Fr. gastel (gateau). Here also belongs Cracknell--
"Craquelin, a cracknell; made of the yolks of egges, water, and
flower; and fashioned like a hollow trendle" (Cotgrave).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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