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Archiver > GEN-MEDIEVAL > 1999-08 > 0933553143


From: Diana Trenchard <>
Subject: Charlemagne
Date: Mon, 02 Aug 1999 00:19:03 +0000


A few weeks ago there was a brief discussion on the fact that
Charlemagne is more commonly known by the French version of his name
rather than the Germanic one - at least in the English-speaking world it is.

I have just been struggling to look something up in the Anglo-Saxon
Chronicles. In passing, I noticed that Charlemagne was referred to as
Carl in one version (Parker MS) and as Karl in another version (Laud
MS). Was the letter 'c' pronounced as 'ch' or 'k' in England at that
time, making his name 'Charl' or 'Karl'?

If the former, then could Charlemagne be the present-day version of how
the name was pronounced in Anglo-Saxon England, rather than being a
French version of his name?

I don't have access to an A-S dictionary and my reference book only has
a glossary. The closest that this latter comes to the second part of
Charlemagne's name are 'maenig', 'maera' and 'maere,' meaning
respectively 'many', 'great, distinguished' and 'glorious, magnificent'.
(The 'a' and the 'e' in the three A-S words should be joined together.)

Is my suggestion a possibility, or way off?

Diana

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