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Help[Opinions] Alisoun
My husband had a friend from high school named Mark. Mark started dating and later married a girl named Alisoun.
That's how her name was spelled, but it was pronounced just like Alison. When my husband and I realized how it was spelled (and I can't remember how we did, but somehow we did) we thought it strange. So I, being the somewhat nosy and a little bit tactless person I can sometimes be, asked Mark why her name was spelled that way. He told me that her parents were medieval history buffs, and that was the way Alison was spelled in medieval times, so that's why they spelled it like that.
My husband and I always jokingly called her Ali-SOWN after that, not to her face, of course.
I have no idea whether or not it's correct that Alisoun is the medieval spelling.
What do you think of this spelling? Do you know whether or not it is the medieval spelling? If it is, do you think that's a good enough reason to use this spelling?
That's how her name was spelled, but it was pronounced just like Alison. When my husband and I realized how it was spelled (and I can't remember how we did, but somehow we did) we thought it strange. So I, being the somewhat nosy and a little bit tactless person I can sometimes be, asked Mark why her name was spelled that way. He told me that her parents were medieval history buffs, and that was the way Alison was spelled in medieval times, so that's why they spelled it like that.
My husband and I always jokingly called her Ali-SOWN after that, not to her face, of course.
I have no idea whether or not it's correct that Alisoun is the medieval spelling.
What do you think of this spelling? Do you know whether or not it is the medieval spelling? If it is, do you think that's a good enough reason to use this spelling?
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Replies
It's in Chaucer and elsewhere
It's the commonest medieval spelling AFAIK. Course there's plenty of others, because standardised spelling didn't really exist, but Alisoun in particular seems to crop up a lot in the texts I've seen.
I think it's as valid a variant as Alison, but I'm not particularly a fan of the name.
It's the commonest medieval spelling AFAIK. Course there's plenty of others, because standardised spelling didn't really exist, but Alisoun in particular seems to crop up a lot in the texts I've seen.
I think it's as valid a variant as Alison, but I'm not particularly a fan of the name.
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From "The Miller's Tale"
Alisoun is the spelling used in Chaucer's "The Miller's Tale".
But it was only "a" medieval spelling, not "the" medieval spelling. Spelling was not set back then, and the same person would spell his or her own names multiple ways, often in the very same document. :)
http://academics.vmi.edu/english/audio/MilT_David.html
Alisoun is the spelling used in Chaucer's "The Miller's Tale".
But it was only "a" medieval spelling, not "the" medieval spelling. Spelling was not set back then, and the same person would spell his or her own names multiple ways, often in the very same document. :)
http://academics.vmi.edu/english/audio/MilT_David.html
This message was edited 5/23/2008, 10:05 AM
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I dunno, I think it's in Chaucer. I bet her parents are SCA types. I think it's a good enough reason. It's a little indulgent, maybe, but weird stuff like that makes people more interesting. I think it'd be less admirable if, say, they wanted to spell it Alisoun but decided against it because they were afraid of people sneering at it.
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I knew I've seen it before somewhere
Now that you bring up Chaucer I'm pretty sure I've read it there. I liked the character in the story so that's a big plus for the name.
Now that you bring up Chaucer I'm pretty sure I've read it there. I liked the character in the story so that's a big plus for the name.
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