OHGREENE-L Archives

Archiver > OHGREENE > 2004-04 > 1081484265


From: Ann B Newsom <>
Subject: Re: [OHGREENE-L] What name is "CVEALY"?
Date: Fri, 9 Apr 2004 00:17:45 -0400 (EDT)
In-Reply-To: <1A0CA16E.030F6CF7.0017D477@aol.com>


Cvealy...here is a really far fetched idea...

I looked up cve in the OED and came up with nothing. Then I thought since
sometimes u looked like a v maybe it is really Cuealy. Then "cue" came up
with about 63 definitions including the one that is used to refer to (what I
shall call) a ponytail at the base of the neck...powdered wigs that men
wore often had a cue, and men often wore their (natural) hair in a cue. (They
still do, but they call it a "ponytail) Is it possible that this woman had
curly hair and held it back in a cue and got the nickname Cuealy...? Runs
in my mind that in many of Thomas Jefferson's protraits (sp) he wore his
hair in a cue.

Also, I looked up "que" in the OED and among the definitions came up with
the letter Q. In the history of the letter Q, the definition included using
"cu" for "qu" and that in the Romantic languages, esp French, it retains
the sound "k". So...if it was either "cu" or "qu", then it could be
"Cue"aly or "Que"aly, and pronounced Kaly or Kelly. throw in an accent and
that's not so far fetched.

Ann




This thread: