The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #150785   Message #3517816
Posted By: Suzy Sock Puppet
21-May-13 - 10:22 PM
Thread Name: Origins: Lord Lovel (Child #75)
Subject: RE: Origins: Lord Lovel (Child #75)
I think Oonzabel in 75E should be Ancebel. There are some good reasons for thinking this:

1.) In 75J, the lady's name is Anzibel, a phonetic match.

2.) It would explain "Anne Sweet Belle" in Irish variants; a mondegreen for Ancebel?

3.) Nancybell is not an appropriate name for a lady; a serving wench perhaps, but not a lady.

4.) Today I found a reference to the LL in a 1911 novel called "Christopher" by Richard Pryce. It was called, "Lord Lovel and Lady Ancebel."

5.) As I've explained before, Nan or Nancy is derived from Anne. Ancebel easily becomes Nancybell but not the reverse.

6.) Ouncebell is derived from Hounsibelle. Both are nonsense names.

7.) Ancebel is a very old and rather unusual name. Ance comes from the Hebrew meaning Grace. It is sometimes written Ance Belle.