DOMESDAY SURVEY 



returns from the hundreds were forwarded from Exeter to Winchester, and 

 from these returns the Exchequer Book was made direct ; but they were 

 not forwarded, it would seem, until the portions of the Exeter Book relating 

 to Devonshire, Cornwall, and Somersetshire had been first compiled from 

 them. Internal evidence goes to show that excepting the counties of Wilts 

 and Dorset, which were incorporated in the Exeter Book from the Exchequer, 

 the two books are entirely independent compilations. 



The Exeter Book, for instance, has many items of detail which are 

 entirely wanting in the Exchequer record, and reflects local pronunciation in 

 different parts of the county as it appeared in the original returns ^ in such 

 variations of spelling as ferding, ferting, ferling ; or Alwius, Alwidus, Alivet 

 for Alwi or iElfwig ; or Fitel, Vitalis, Vithelet for Vidley or Videlig ; or 

 Torgic, Torgis, Turgis, and Turginus for Torgey or Torgig. In two 

 places it writes P for W, Pillanda and Pediccheswella (fol. 127^), where 

 the Exchequer (fol. 102^) has Welland and Wedicheswelle, owing to the 

 Exeter scribe's misreading the old English form of W as P in the Shirwell 

 return. The Exeter scribe was clearly not a native of the county, for 

 wherever he can he uses a hard instead of a soft sound. He writes Herchen- 

 bold for Erchenbold (fol. 210b), Hermentona for Ermentona (fol. 85*^), 

 Hedric for Edric (fol. 294/^), Halebrix for Alebric (fol. 331*^), Hluperiga 

 for Luperiga (fol. 397), harare for arare (fol. 121), and hunius for unius 

 (fol. 310). 



He writes Melefort (fol. izib), Kagefort (fol. 131), Hetfelt (fol. 183), 

 Sanfort (fol. 290), Bradefort (fol. 291) for Meleford, Chageford, Hethfeld, 

 Sanford, and Bradeford ; Editda (fol. 93) and Eideta (fol. 946) for Eddida; and 

 Guitda (fol. 93, gbb) or Gutda (fol. 194^) for Githa, though the Devonshire 

 pronunciation Geda and Gida has remained to tell its tale in two places 

 (fols. 94, 96). Another peculiarity of the western scribe is that O every- 

 where usurps the place of Uin proper names, Olpessa (fol. 132) for Ulpesse; 

 Olwardesdona (fol. 109^) for Ulwardesdone ; Olfaldeshodes (fol. 416^) for 

 Ulfaldeshodes ; Olveberia (fol. 3 1 3) for Ulveberie ; Olurintona (fol. 379) for 

 Ulurintone ; Olveleia (fol. 294^) for Ulvelie ; Olmar (fol. 409^) for Ulmar ; 

 Ordolf (fol. 412) for Ordulf; Aiolf (fol. 319) for Aiulf ; Torstin (fol. 340/^) 

 for Turstan ; Torgic (fol. i'^6b) for Turgis. Evidently the dictating scribe 

 was a Norman, who like the Frenchman of to-day reads sunt as though it 

 were written sont. Dr. Round has shown that Alfred was a common name 

 in Brittany, but hardened into Alfrit or Alvrit.' 



Whilst on the subject of pronunciation it may be well to point out that 

 the names encountered in the pages of the record, when once the rules of 

 pronunciation are grasped, become the familiar names of everyday life. 

 Thus c before e and /, and occasionally before a, is used to express the sound 

 now written ch, so that ' Cilletona,' ' Cedelintona,' ' Calvelia,' and ' Cagefort ' 

 should be read Chilton, Chillington, Chawleigh, and Chagford. Ch on the other 

 hand is used to express our k, so that 'Chentona,' ' Chenemetona,' and 'Cheme- 

 worda ' should be read Kenton, Kilmington, Kimworthy. S, or more fre- 

 quently double s or jr, and at the beginning of a word Es, are used to express 



' Mr. Whale, in Trans. Devon Assoc, xxxii, 523, considers these variations, which he calls errors, due to the 

 want of distinctions in the rolls. 



' Round, Feudal Engl. 327, «, 26. 



379 



