The Standards for Evaluation of Names and Armory - SCA Heraldry

The Standards for Evaluation of Names and Armory:The Rules for SubmissionsFor example, the name phrase de London is typical of medieval English documentary practice. Therefore, itis a registerable name phrase. However, von Saxony, which mixes the German von with the English versionof the German place name, is not. It must be made completely German, as von Sachsen, or completelyEnglish, as of Saxony. For example, inghean Áeda, which mixes the Early Modern Irish Gaelic inghean,with the Middle Irish Gaelic Áeda , is not registerable. It must be made completely Middle Irish Gaelic, asingean Áeda, or completely Early Modern Irish Gaelic, as inghean Aodha.2. Sources of Name Phrases: We allow registerable name phrases to be created in a variety of ways. Thefollowing types of name phrases may be registered:a. Attested Name Phrases: Name phrases may be attested to period as a complete name phrase (i.e., foundin a period document). A single example of an attested name phrase clearly dated to period is sufficientto demonstrate its use. Minor spelling variants are allowed when those spelling variants are demonstratedto be compatible with the spelling conventions of the time and place of the attested name.For example, in Renaissance English, the letters i and y are frequently interchanged. Therefore, a nameattested as Annis could also be spelled Annys. The letters k and q, on the other hand, are notinterchangeable in Renaissance Scots. So, a name attested as Kintyre does not justify the spellingQintyre.b. Constructed Name Phrases: Name phrases may be constructed from attested period name elements. Todo this, documentation must be provided to demonstrate that the name phrase follows a period pattern.We generally require at least three examples to consider something a pattern, as sometimes a single namephrase can create the appearance of a pattern that does not actually exist. The examples should closelymatch the constructed name phrase.For example, taken alone, the English given name Rose appears to originate from the name of the flower;however, research suggests that it originates from an Old English word hros, 'horse'. Therefore, it cannotbe used to justify names like Hyacinth.All of the elements and patterns for a constructed name phrase must come from a single time and place.We do not allow constructed name phrases that are created by using patterns from one time and placewith elements from another time and place. Some examples of constructed names are:1. Diminutives Constructed from Given Names: In many languages, diminutive forms can be madefrom existing given names, often by adding endings or removing part of the name (and even both).For example, in Italian, diminutives are regularly constructed by adding –ino after dropping the final –ofrom an already existing given name. The diminutive Urbanino can be constructed from the attestedgiven name Urbano.2. Constructed Dithemic Given Names: In several Germanic languages, including Old English, givennames are frequently composed of two pieces, a prototheme (first part) and a deuterotheme (secondpart). New names can be constructed from attested protothemes and deuterothemes. A new namecannot be constructed by combining other parts of the names or by combining elements other than asingle prototheme and a single deuterotheme.For example, the attested Old English name Ælfgar has the prototheme Ælf- and the deuterotheme -garand the attested Old English name Eadmund has the prototheme Ead- and the deuterotheme -mund.Therefore one could combine the prototheme Ælf- and the deuterotheme -mund to make the givenname Ælfmund. However, Garmund or Ælfead are not documentable through this pattern, nor isÆlfgarmund, as these do not combine a single prototheme with a single deuterotheme.Standards for Evaluation of Names and Armory – April 29, 2012 - Page 8 of 73