Anglo-Saxon Plant Name Survey (ASPNS): Thirteenth Annual Report for 2011
ASPNS is pleased to announce that we have a new advisor, Mag. Helmut W. Klug of the Institut für Anglistik and the Institut für Germanistik of the Karl-Franzens University in Graz, Austria. Helmut's research is in the field of German mediaeval studies, especially plants, and also food history. In addition, he is involved in computer studies centered on online data presentation, online collaboration and the work environment, and media didactics. He is an important member of the team which has produced the Dictionary of Old English Plant-Names (http://oldenglish-plantnames.uni-graz.at/) and he is the main researcher for the Medieval Plant Survey (http://mps.uni-graz.at/mps-daten) both of which have English-language versions.
ASPNS was consulted last year by the Dictionary of Old English, the Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, the BBC (researching a new series on agricultural history), and by a botanist researching the use of saffron. In addition, ASPNS was asked to comment on a paper, concerning Anglo-Saxon horticulture, which had been submitted for publication.
Carole Biggam gave a talk to the Philological Society on 18th June at a symposium entitled 'Historical Semantics, Etymology and Lexicography', held to mark the publication of the Historical Thesaurus of the Oxford English Dictionary. Her talk was entitled 'Doubtful Anglo-Saxon dandelions: a conceptual approach'.
Thanks are due to English Language, School of Critical Studies, University of Glasgow, U.K., for hosting and supporting ASPNS.
Dr C. P. Biggam, Director of ASPNS
15th January 2012
Plant-Related Publications by ASPNS Members
- Bierbaumer, Peter, 'Research into Old English Plant Names: 1969-2009', More than Words: English Lexicography and Lexicology Past and Present: Essays Presented to Hans Sauer on the Occasion of his 65th Birthday, Part I, edited by Renate Bauer and Ulrike Krischke, 103-22. Münchener Universitätsschriften 36. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang, 2011.
- Biggam, C. P., 'Anglo-Saxon Plant-Name Survey (ASPNS): Twelfth Annual Report for 2010', Old English Newsletter Online 42.3 (2011).
- Breeze, Andrew, 'Worcester's Roman Name, Buildwas, and Uricon', Housman Society Journal 37 (2011), 169-81. [The place-name Buildwas is interpreted as 'cow-pasture marsh', with a Brittonic first element. See Coates below for a different suggestion].
- Coates, Richard, 'The First Element of Buildwas, Shropshire', Journal of the English Place-Name Society 42 (2010), 75-8. [The place-name Buildwas is interpreted as 'ominous (i.e. bearing an omen) flood land' or 'wonderful (i.e. producing wonder) flood land'. See Breeze above for a different suggestion].
- Sauer, Hans, 'Patterns of Loan-Influence on the Medieval English Plant Names, with Special Reference to the Influence of Greek', Foreign Influences on Medieval English, edited by Jacek Fisiak and Magdalena Bator, 55-76. Studies in English Medieval Language and Literature 28. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang, 2011.
