Chapter VI

). A form of it survives in the Nottingham name Watmough and perhaps in Hickmott--

"Mow, housbandys sister or syster in law" (Prompt. Parv.).

I imagine that William Echemannesmai, who owed the Treasury a mark in 1182, was one of the sponging fraternity.

Virgoe, a latinization of Virgin, is perhaps due to a shop-sign. Rigmaiden, explained by Lower as "a romping girl," is local, from a place in Westmorland. Richard de Riggemayden was living in Lancashire in 1307. With this group of names we may put Gossip, originally a god-parent, lit. related in God, from Mid. Eng. sib, kin.

With names like Farebrother, Goodfellow, we may compare some of French origin such as Bonser (bon sire), Bonamy, and Bellamy

"Thou beel amy, thou pardoner, he sayde, Telle us som myrth, or japes, right anon."

(B, 318.)

Beldam (belle dame), originally a complimentary name for grandmother or grandam, has become uncomplimentary in meaning--

First Witch. "Why, how now, Hecate! you look angerly."

Hecate. "Have I not reason, beldams as you are, Saucy and overbold?" (Macbeth, iii. 5).

From the corresponding Old Fr. bel-sire, beau-sire, we have Bewsher, Bowser, and the Picard form Belcher

"The great belsire, the grandsire, sire, and sonne, Lie here interred under this grave stone."

(Weever, Ancient Funeral Monuments.)

Relationship was often expressed by the use of French words, so that for son-in-law we find Gender, Ginder, corresponding to Fr. Legendre. Fitch, usually an animal nickname ( Chapter XXIII ), is occasionally for le fiz, the son, which also survives as Fitz. Goodson, from the personal name Good ( Chapter I ), is sometimes registered as Fiz Deu. Cf. Fr. Lefilleul, i.e. the godson.

ABSTRACTS

A possible derivative of the name May (