Women's Names in Old English

This book provides an in-depth study into the issue of vernacular names in Old English documents. Specifically it challenges the generally accepted notion that the sex of an individual is definitively indicated by the grammatical gender of their name. While modern scholars have generally felt no difficulty is distinguishing male from female names, this book asks how far the Anglo-Saxons themselves recognised this distinction, and in so doing critically examines and tests the general...
More Description

This book provides an in-depth study into the issue of vernacular names in Old English documents. Specifically it challenges the generally accepted notion that the sex of an individual is definitively indicated by the grammatical gender of their name. While modern scholars have generally felt no difficulty is distinguishing male from female names, this book asks how far the Anglo-Saxons themselves recognised this distinction, and in so doing critically examines and tests the general principle that grammatical gender is a certain indicator of biological sex. Anyone with an interest in Old English manuscripts or early medieval history will find this book both thought provoking and a useful reference tool for better understanding the Anglo-Saxon world.