Mr. Lower's sole explanation of the terminal in question is, that it is a diminutive like "kin;" and in justice to that view, I must not pass over the evidence afforded by the Brabant Roll of a case where the two names seem to be interchanged. One of Prince John's pages is named on the roll "Hankin" (p. 7. line 3.); while, on the Wardrobe Account three years previous, where the servants are specified by name, "Hancock" is there, who is most likely the same person. It will also be seen, that whereas in the Wardrobe Account the armourer's name is "Giles," and the barber's "Walter" (see notes to the Brabant Roll), the foreign scribe of the account dubs them "Gilkin"
and "Woterkin." In following up his argument upon this subject, Mr. Lower speaks of a person being called "Little Wilcock," as an instance of complete tautology: if, however, it is meant by this (as it seems to be), that a diminutive name was only applied to a diminutive in person, or only expressed such a one, I am sure he will find very many differ from him, as affection or familiarity was at least as likely to have originated its use. Thus, Peter de Gaveston would surely not be deprived of his knightly fame because he was called by Prince Edward "Perot" (Pierrote a Pierre). Thus also came "Amyot" from Amy, "Launcelot" from Laurence, "Gillot" from Giles. And "kin" has as much right to be so considered. But there being already these two diminutives in ordinary use as to names of persons, there surely was no occasion to apply to the same purpose a syllable which (with a mark of contraction) certainly had a direct meaning, and expressed a vocation; and which has very rarely been otherwise used in a diminutive sense.
My object is not so much to advocate any particular solution as regards these names, as to submit evidence bearing upon the subject, with such explanations as have occurred to me.
Joseph Burtt.
Footnote 1:[(return)]
In the Report from the Select Committee (of the House of Commons) on the Post Office in 1844, Sir F. Palgrave makes the following note on the word Cokinus, which occurs in some documents supplied to the Committee, and printed in their Appendix:
"The word Cokinus, in the Wardrobe Accounts of the latter half of the thirteenth century, is used to signify a 'messenger;' but in what the Cokinus differed from the Nuncius and the Garcio—the other terms employed in their accounts to signify the bearers of letters or messages—does not appear."
SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE.
The habit of this celebrated author, to annotate in the margins of books which he was reading, must be well known to many of the subscribers of "N. & Q."