, 453).

With these names we may put Drewry or Drury, sweetheart, from the Old
French abstract druerie, of Germanic origin and cognate with true--

"For certeynly no such beeste
To be loved is not worthy,
Or bere the name of druerie."

(Romaunt of the Rose, 5062.)

Suckling is a nickname applied to a helpless person; cf. Littlechild
and "milksop," which still exists, though rare, in the forms Milsopp
and Mellsop. The heir survives as Ayre and Eyre. Batchelor, the
origin of which is one of the etymological problems yet unsolved, had
in Old French and Mid. English also the meaning of young warrior or
squire. Chaucer's Squier is described as--

"A lovyere and a lusty bacheler" (A, 80).

May, maiden, whence Mildmay, is used by Chaucer for the Holy Virgin

"Now, lady bright, to whom alle woful cryen,
Thow glorie of wommanhede, thow faire may,
Thow haven of refut, brighte sterre of day" (B, 850).

This is the same word as Mid. Eng. mai, relative, cognate with maid
and Gaelic Mac- (Chapter VI). A form of it survives in the Nottingham
name Watmough and perhaps in Hickmott--

"Mow, housbandys sister or syster in law" (Prompt. Parv.).

I imagine that William Echemannesmai, who owed the Treasury a mark in
1182, was one of the sponging fraternity.

Virgoe, a latinization of Virgin, is perhaps due to a shop-sign.
Rigmaiden, explained by Lower as "a romping girl," is local, from a
place in Westmorland. Richard de Riggemayden was living in Lancashire
in 1307. With this group of names we may put Gossip, originally a
god-parent, lit. related in God, from Mid. Eng. sib, kin.

With names like Farebrother, Goodfellow, we may compare some of French
origin such as Bonser (bon sire), Bonamy, and Bellamy

"Thou beel amy, thou pardoner, he sayde,
Telle us som myrth, or japes, right anon."

(B, 318.)

Beldam (belle dame), originally a complimentary name for grandmother
or grandam, has become uncomplimentary in meaning--

First Witch. "Why, how now, Hecate! you look angerly."

Hecate. "Have I not reason, beldams as you are,
Saucy and overbold?" (Macbeth, iii. 5).

From the corresponding Old Fr. bel-sire, beau-sire, we have Bewsher,
Bowser, and the Picard form Belcher

"The great belsire, the grandsire, sire, and sonne,
Lie here interred under this grave stone."

(Weever, Ancient Funeral Monuments.)

Relationship was often expressed by the use of French words, so that
for son-in-law we find Gender, Gi