Haven't got time to work on this till lunchtime, but it's the right set of
questions!
Richard
>
> Is there any evidence of how Camridge was pronounced in the 16th century
> (Camden, the orthoepists, etc.)? When was ingenious borrowed and how was it
> pronounced in earlier periods? These are questions I would like answered.
> */kam-/ of course would be a closed syllable and I don't see how it could
> give ModEng /keim-/. You might argue from popular etymology by analogy
> with the verb form came, though this looks like the counsel of desperation
> to me. No, I think you have to start from a late ME /ka:m-/, but this still
> leaves the question unanswered.
>
> John I.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Richard Coates" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Wednesday, April 09, 2003 11:07 AM
> Subject: Re: [EPNL] Cambridge
>
>
> > No, it doesn't necessarily presuppose any particular ME quality. It could
> be a
> > spelling pronunciation, long vowel in open syllable. The ME name had a
> > historic short vowel, and the opportunity for a long one came only when
> the
> > Latin name was created and acquired a spelt form.
> >
> > Compare _ingenious_ with a long stressed vowel, classically short!
> >
> > Richard
> >
> > >
> > > This is ingenious, but modern Cambridge /keimbrid3/ surely presupposes
> long
> > > /a:/ in late ME and (ae:/ or long open e in early ModEng. The Latin
> > > argument is plausible, but you've still got to explain the vowel length.
> > >
> > > John I.
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "Richard Coates" <[log in to unmask]>
> > > To: <[log in to unmask]>
> > > Sent: Wednesday, April 09, 2003 10:49 AM
> > > Subject: Re: [EPNL] Cambridge
> > >
> > >
> > > > This is a very good question indeed. I haven't seen any answer,
> because I
> > > > haven't seen the question posed before.
> > > >
> > > > Can anyone inprove on this? The river in the 16thC was called
> _C(h)amus_
> > > in
> > > > Latin sources, and this is on record before _Cam_ in English ones. The
> > > > pronunciation of _C(h)amus_ would have been (in traditional English
> > > latinity)
> > > > EMod /ke:[log in to unmask] That's the only potential source of the pronunciation
> seen
> > > in
> > > > the town-name that I can think of. I have no hard suggestion about how
> > > this
> > > > pronunciation got into the town-name but failed to penetrate the
> > > river-name.
> > > > Is it conceivable that the town had an informal or facetious name
> *_Cami
> > > Pons_
> > > > /ke:m@i (modern /keimai/) ponz/ in the conversational Latin of the
> > > university,
> > > > which never made it into writing because _Cantabrigia_ was available
> for
> > > such
> > > > elevated purposes?
> > > >
> > > > Richard
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > The name Cambridge is discussed in most books on the history of the
> > > > > city, and of course at length in the EPNS Cambridgeshire volume.
> > > > > But none of these explain the strange pronunciation with the /ei/
> > > diphthong
> > > > > in the first syllable. I imagine this must be recent, but where
> did it
> > > > > come
> > > > > from? All the old forms are spelt with a or au. Why is this
> > > > > pronunciation
> > > > > not recognized as a problem needing explanation? Are there any
> > > parallels
> > > > > in other names?
> > > > > Keith
> > > > >
> > > > > Dr. Keith M. Briggs
> > > > > Senior Mathematician, Complexity Research, BTexact.
> > > > > phone: +44(0)1473 work: 641 911 home: 610 517 fax: 642 161
> > > > > profile: http://www.btexact.com/ideas/profiles?doc=42493
> > > > > web: (work) http://more.btexact.com/people/briggsk2/
> > > > > web: (private) http://members.lycos.co.uk/keithmbriggs/
> > > > > mail: Keith Briggs, Polaris 134, Adastral Park, Martlesham,
> > > Suffolk
> > > > > IP5 3RE, UK
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > > Richard Coates
> > > >
> > > > Dean, School of Cognitive and Computing Sciences
> > > > University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QH, UK
> > > >
> > > > Professor of Linguistics
> > > > Secretary, International Council of Onomastic Sciences (ICOS)
> > > >
> > > > Tel.: +44 (0)1273 678030 (secretary Jackie Gains)
> > > > Fax: +44 (0)1273 671320
> > > > Email: [log in to unmask]
> > > >
> > > > Website: www.cogs.susx.ac.uk/users/richardc
> > > >
> > > > Colleagues with ICOS business should use the email address above
> > > >
> >
> > --
> > Richard Coates
> >
> > Dean, School of Cognitive and Computing Sciences
> > University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QH, UK
> >
> > Professor of Linguistics
> > Secretary, International Council of Onomastic Sciences (ICOS)
> >
> > Tel.: +44 (0)1273 678030 (secretary Jackie Gains)
> > Fax: +44 (0)1273 671320
> > Email: [log in to unmask]
> >
> > Website: www.cogs.susx.ac.uk/users/richardc
> >
> > Colleagues with ICOS business should use the email address above
> >
>
--
Richard Coates
Dean, School of Cognitive and Computing Sciences
University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QH, UK
Professor of Linguistics
Secretary, International Council of Onomastic Sciences (ICOS)
Tel.: +44 (0)1273 678030 (secretary Jackie Gains)
Fax: +44 (0)1273 671320
Email: [log in to unmask]
Website: www.cogs.susx.ac.uk/users/richardc
Colleagues with ICOS business should use the email address above
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