Field

There's a British actor that's been appearing in some high profile films lately who has an unusual name.  J. J. Feild (left) has come a long way from a small role in Heartbeat to a supporting role in this year's Captain America. 

What struck me about his name was the spelling.  His name is spelt the way we pronounce the commonly used word for an area of open land surrounded by hedges - a field.  The earliest recorded use of field is in 1155, it appeared in Gower's Confessio Amantis c.1393.  The word developed from the Old English folde meaning earth, land.  This is the same as the Old Saxon folda, also meaning earth.  This spelling with 'ie' was most likely introduced to English by Anglo-French scribes during the late 1400s, who represented the long 'e' sound with the grapheme 'ie'.

However, in the Cursor Mundi (written c.1325), we find the spelling of feild.  Which brings me neatly back to the actor's name.  I wonder if it's derived from this fourteenth century word in the Cursor Mundi? 
Sources:
Chambers Dictionary of Etymology (1988), Chambers
J. J. Feild (2008) [online] http://www.tcs.cam.ac.uk/the_bridge/features/move-over-mr-darcy/ (Accessed 12 September 2011)


Juliana

Tawdry

This word has a fascinating history.  Since 1676 century it has meant showy, cheap and gaudy, however, before this it had a different meaning.  It is a shortened form of tawdry lace.  Tawdry is a corruption of Saint Audrey, and tawdry lace was a lace necklace or ribbon sold at annual St. Audrey fairs during the Middle Ages.  In one of Shakespeare's plays A Winter's Tale (c.1610), a shepherdess called Mopsa says "Come, you promised me a tawdry lace and a pair of sweet gloves" (Act IV, Scene 3).

In the Middle Ages, tawdry lace necklaces were believed to have healing powers, to cure illnesses of the throat and neck.  This was derived from the legend of Saint Audrey (also known as Saint Ethelreda), who died in the seventh century from plague.  Before her death, a doctor removed a tumour from her neck, which the Audrey believed was divine punishment for her youthful fondness for pretty and expensive necklaces.  However, when her body was exhumed seventeen years later it was not only uncorrupted (a common sign of saintliness), but the wound from her neck surgery had healed.  Thus the myth of the tawdry necklace was born.

When the Reformation removed all images of saints and attempted to eradicate all belief in their legends, the meaning of tawdry lace changed from being a miraculous amulet to the current meaning of showy and gaudy.

Tawdry is a good example of how a word's meaning can be affected by changes in society.  In this case, religious reformation altered tawdry's meaning from a positive one requiring faith in the saint's\legend to something negative and perjorative.

Sources:
Bridgman, Peter (2004) Shakespeare and St. Ethelreda's, Ely Place [online], available from www.stethelreda,com/pamphlet.doc (accessed 9 June 2011)
Chambers Dictionary of Etymology (1988), Chambers


Juliana