LL-L "Etymology" 2008.02.29 (10) [E]

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L O W L A N D S - L  - 29 February 2008 - Volume 10
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From: Marsha Wilson <marshatrue at mtangel.net>
Subject: LL-L "Language politics" 2008.02.29 (06) [E]

Regarding the origin of last names.....you tell me!  My maiden name is
Coin.  I am apparently of Scots-Irish and Welsh ancestry.  I've never asked
a linguist about the name.  I suspect it didn't come from money, as that's
apparently always been missing in my family, LOL.  My great-grandmother's
maiden name was True, and I carry it also.  If anyone has insight into
either name, I'm all ears, as they say.

Marsha True Coin Wilson
in the cloudy lowlands of Oregon

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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Etymology

Oh, Marsha, Marsha! What shall we do with you?

Take a lot at the archived message below.

Reinhard/Ron
Sleepy in Seattle

***

L O W L A N D S - L * 08.MAY.2005 (03) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226

From: Marsha Alley <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: LL-L "Names" 2005.05.08 (02) [E/French]


----- Original Message -----
From: Lowlands-L
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Sunday, May 08, 2005 12:26 PM
Subject: LL-L "Names" 2005.05.08 (02) [E/French]

Roger wrote:

Cougnet, Coeugniet, Cognné, Cognet, Cognez:
Surnom
wallon: cougnès: coin (pour fendre ou caler) (Dictionnaire liégeois, Haust)
éventuellement avec sens fig. (érotique?)
Forme fém: 13e s. "Yde li Cognete" (Lens-sur-Dendre)

Comments:
coin in this sense is "wedge" in English.
In Dutch: een "wig, spie"
In my Limburgish "en kal" (fem.)
Herbillon thinks it may be erotic in old name giving.

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From: R. F. Hahn <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Names

Hi, Isaac, Roger, Lowlanders!

I wonder if the above-mentioned names are related to the not uncommon
English name Coin, supposedly a remnant from the Norman era.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

----- End Original Message -----

I'm glad you asked, Ron.  Coin is my maiden name and I've been told it's
English, or Welsh or French....all by non-linguists.  I'd be interested in
the take on it here.

Marsha True Coin Alley, divorced, soon to be Wilson remarried.....

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From: R. F. Hahn <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Names

Hi, Marsha!

You were definitely in my mind when I asked that question, with a coworker
by the same name as an afterthought.  I hoped it would entice you out of the
woodwork, and it did.  :-)

In the meantime I found that the surname Coin, Coyne, etc. (also derived as
Coan and Cohn, the latter apparently unrelated to Jewish Cohn, Cohen, Kohen,
etc.) is also found in England, Ireland, France and on the Channel Islands.
There is also the surname group au Coin, Au Coin, Aucoin, etc., _au_ being
"in/at the."

Now here's the twist: if there was a line of Coin developed from Norman
French, it must have "fused" with an Irish name:  Coyne, Coen, Cohen, Kyne,
Kilcoyne, Coyney, Koyne, Koen, Kohen, M'Coyne, Coyn, Coin, Coine, Koin,
Koine, apparently from Irish (Gaelic), occurring also in its English
translation Barnacle, Barnicle, Barnycle, Barnackle, Barnicall, Barnickle,
etc.  If this is true, your next task will be to figure out if you are a
Norman French or Irish Coin!  And if this isn't confusing enough, there is
also the possibility of the Jewish name Cohen, Kahn, etc. (denoting a
special class of priests, the _kahan_, _kohanim_, and people with surnames
derived from this source may not marry each other), having been changed into
Coin ... (and it also fused with Irish-derived Cowan, not to mention
coinciding with the German name Kahn ... as in Gabriele Kahn).

About the Irish Coyne, etc., name ... I wonder if our friends of the Celtic
and Celtophile pursuations could help us here.  I have a hunch that it goes
back not to 'barnacle' but to 'barnacle goose', namely Irish _cadhan_
['kQ(G)@n] (possibly onomatopoetic in origin, based on the call of the
goose, "caw").  'Barnacle', 'limpet' is _báirneach_ in Irish (cf. Scot.
Gaelic _b� irneach_, Welsh _brenig_, Cornish _brennic_, Manx _bayrnag_,
_baarnagh_, _barnagh_, all supposedly going back to Middle English
_bernekke_, which comes from Medieval Latin _bernaca_).  Another Celtic word
group for 'barnacle goose' is represented by Old Irish _giugrann_ > Irish
_giodhrán_ (~ _giùran_), Welsh *_gegurannâ_ > _gwyrain_; cf. Arran Island
Irish, _giúraing_ '(destructive) barnacle'.

Confused enough for a day, Marsha?

How exciting about your upcoming marriage!  Please let us know when so we
can send you congratulations and best wishes.  We've had weddings on
Lowlands-L before, but never with any fanfares and rice throwing.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron
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