Dear 'hot Fritz', Dom Anselm, Christopher, et al
I'm not convinced, either, by small rags, or vertically-challenged lady
criminals, and for the same reason I hesitate over food or the cost thereof. I
wonder, Otfried, if you're not on firmer ground when you write:
> Always assuming that it is not the more or less distorted derivate of a
> proper name of presumably Germanic origins (I have nothing special in mind,
> but you foreigners do strange things to our names
I hesitate over place-names, particularly those in a foreign tongue. Etymology
is a mine-field, specially if we have no early spellings to go on (Is that so
in this case, Fr. Anselm?). I take it the 'p' is the problem if a personal-name
is postulated. However, it may be worth noting that the Old English list of
donors to the monastery at Durham (LVD) includes a monk Friubet/Freobet, which I
guess is likely to be a reduced form of Frithu- plus (?beorht). (We need Julia
Barrow's assistance, here.) Having recently encountered a male St Rosamund (I
kid you not), it might be worth considering the personal name option further.
Christopher, to your knowledge do any other French _lieux_ have a first element
'Frip' - and rather more to the point, is it possible that 'b' could become 'p'
through changes in pronunciation? French colleagues can no doubt help us out.
Best wishes (What a fascinating range of topics we get through on this list.)
Graham Jones
Leicester
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