[SCA-AE] an aestel

[Amy Guildroy]

Bertram asked me to post this excerpt from an early AEstel. I still read 
AEthelmearc,
it's still home (even though we are in Meridies nowadays).  Eromene

 From the February 1995 Edition of the AEstel

Pronouncing AEstel
by Bertram of Bearington

Many good gentles have enquired as to the "proper" way to pronounce the 
name of this newsletter, the AEstel. Each of the following variations can 
be heard somewhere around the Principality.

                     AAAS-tel       ess-TEL      Ahhhs-TEL      ess-TIL

According to a student of Anglo-Saxon, the first pronunciation is evidently 
correct. The name of the newsletter means "book-marker" or "pointing 
stick," like a teacher's pointer, and should sound like "pastel" without 
the initial "p," and with the accent on the first syllable. Think AAAS-tel, 
not ess-TEL.

AEstel is the Anglo-Saxon adaptation of the Latin word hastula, which means 
"little spear."  It was chosen as an appropriate name for an East Kingdom 
principality newsletter because of its play on a larger "spear," the Pikestaff.

Gentles interested in learning more about Anglo-Saxon pronunciation should 
try reading A Guide to Old English, by Bruce Mitchell, 2d Ed., Barnes & 
Noble, New York, 1968 and The Roots of Modern English, L. M. Myers & 
Richard L. Hoffman, 2d Ed., Little, Brown and Company, Boston & Toronto, 1979.

--------------------------------
Dave Schroeder (SHRAY-der)
Master Bertram of Bearington
1725 Carlington Court
Grayson, GA 30017
770-362-2550 :cell
770-972-0102 :home
dschroeder at mindspring.com