LL-L "Help needed" 2002.11.10 (02) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 10.NOV.2002 (02) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: Pat Reynolds <pat at caerlas.demon.co.uk>
Subject: LL-L "Help needed" 2002.11.09 (01) [E]

Dear Ron,

Many thanks for that !  If what I read as 'BEEOHL...' or 'BELOHL...' is
'BEFOHL', that would make the strange letter form (like an E missing the
top bar, or an L with a middle bar) an F.  Which would make the last
word in the fourth line 'FLEISI...' - does that make any sense?

I have been trying to find, for a few months now, a comparative guide to
the letter forms used in print in Europe in the early modern period.
There are lots of books on handwriting, but none that I can find on
print.  If anyone can point me at one, I'd be grateful.

I wouldn't have thought that TREV is an abbreviation for Trevor.  This
is (I think) quite modern in English usage - it's a Welsh name - and
doesn't even make it into the Oxford Dictionary of English Christian
Names (published in 1950).  Strangely, when I first looked at this
inscription, my eye fell on TREV, which I read as the Welsh tref 'town'
- the root of the personal name Trevor. But as soon as I started to read
the rest, I realised it was some form of German.

I should have measured how many letters would fit in to the end of the
stone, of course.  Roughly, just a few letters on the right, and whole
words on the left.

With thanks and best wishes,

Pat
--
Pat Reynolds
pat at caerlas.demon.co.uk
   "It might look a bit messy now, but just you come back in 500 years time"
   (T. Pratchett)

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

Hi, Pat!

You are entirely welcome.

I see we are making some headway now.

> Which would make the last
> word in the fourth line 'FLEISI...' - does that make any sense?

"FLEISSIG" (either misspelled or with a type of "es-zet") 'diligent'
perhaps?

> I wouldn't have thought that TREV is an abbreviation for Trevor.

Of course not.  But - ah! - early seventeenth century!  "V" and "U" used to
be interchangeable at the time (and later again, during the Neo-Classicistic
era, based on Roman script), which would point to _TREU_ ~ _TREUE_
'faithfulness' or _TREU_ 'faithful', 'true'.

Do you have a photograph, drawing or rubbing that you could send me
digitized in private mail?  I like to think that I'm pretty good at
deciphering various sorts of "weird" inscriptions.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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