PEE-SAXON CIVILIZATION IN DORSET. 225 



and Vyney lived at the sign of the pine tree. Mussell was as 

 quiet and inoffensive as a little mouse (musculus), while 

 Pardy was as fierce as a panther (pardus) and Whittle was as 

 strong as a steer ( Vitulus). 



There are apparently some contractions of the sonorous 

 Roman names which made them more easily pronounced by 

 British tongues. For example, Benedictus reappears as 

 Bennett. Jesty suggests a shortened form of Justinian, and 

 Tite of Titus ; while Stacey seems an affectionate diminutive 

 of Anastasius. 



ROMANO-BRITISH FAMILY NAMES. 



Antell came from the East, the sun rise ( Anatole) Cavell 

 lived in a cave or chapel ( Cafell) Chilcott the anchorite was 

 domiciled in a cell in a wood (Kilcoed) Kilford in the cell 

 by the road Waygood was in the wood road (Via coed). 

 Keevil had a chamber and Priddle a stool (predella). Cleall 

 Avas known by his voice, and Besent by his gold coin. 



Dominy was born on Sunday (Dominica) and both Dibben 

 and Dunn were of the dominant people. Drew was a Druid 

 Perfitt was a perfidious person while Ridout had passed 

 through troublous times, and eventually had been restored 

 to libert}' (reductus). 



DIALECT WORDS. 



Much has been written of Celtic glamour, Celtic mysticism, 

 and Celtic romance, so one expects to find words and ex- 

 pressions suggestive of poetry and imagination. A few 

 expressions taken fron Nature are charming. Colours are 

 thus described " as blue as a gregle " (wild hyacinth), " as 

 black as the raven's wing," "as pale as ashes " "as white 

 as a blossom of snow " (a snowflake), and " as white as driven 

 snow." 



