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names of misscriptive origin (was: RE: A question and introduction

From:And Rosta <a-rosta@...>
Date:Wednesday, June 12, 2002, 1:00
Philip Newton:
> On 11 Jun 02, at 9:15, Steg Belsky wrote: > > > Btw, supposedly Oprah Winfrey was supposed to be named after the figure > > Orpah in the Scroll of Ruth, but her father couldn't spell. Or something > > like that. > > And Condoleezza Rice was named after the Italian musical term "con > dolcezza" ("with sweetness"), but her parents couldn't spell. Or so I > heard. (Her name always reminds me of "condolences" when I hear it on > the news.)
It seems slightly suspicious to me that the supposed analphabetes are African American, though given that most anglophones can't spell and African Americans turn into conlangers when it comes to the naming of children, I suppose it could be true. But the one example of a name of misscriptive origin that comes to my mind was perpetrated by one of the very best users English has ever had, Sir Walter Scott, for I believe -- and on this point I admit I have neglected to check any online sources for confirmation -- that the name Cedric, made popular by _Ivanhoe_, was a misreading of the name Cerdic. --And.

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John Cowan <jcowan@...>