James Chetwood

Birgit suggests that some of the current popularity of some 'English' names in Denmark are down to the popularity of certain sounds, such as the vowel hiatus (combination of two separate vowel sounds next to each other), as in the name 'Elliot'.

Different waves in the modern era saw rise of 'trendy' English names in the 19th C, then decline due to lower class association in early 20th, then another rise after the 2nd World War (even if some lower class stigma attached to them).

In the 16th C Scottish migration led to some name exchange, e.g. by the 18th C we see surnames like 'Angusdatter'.

One of the very few Viking Age exchanges from England -> Denmark is:

Botwulf > Bōtulf > Bodel (seen in Bodelsen)

Now we're onto Birgit Eggert (University of Copenhagen) with her paper: 'English first names in Denmark – a changing history'

A really interesting study of changing names as a way of portraying different identities, as a means of ensuring economic survival. 👏

He later became a performer, taking the stage name of 'Chief Luale', and used the official name on his company records 'Chinaka Chanda Kaila Luale'.

His wedding certificate claims his name was 'Henry William Jackson' and this father's was 'Watson Jackson'.

One reason for Chanda Bulaya's name change was to make it sound more Caribbean, as Black Africans were less likely to find work than e.g. Bajans in England at this time. He was also variously known as Samson Bulaya, depending on the source and context.

Now it's Osward Chanda (Stellenbosch University) with his paper ‘Identity Switch for Survival’: From Chanda Bulaya to Samson Jackson, A Black African in England, 1914-35'.

Lasse is investigating the language of usernames used in various online spaces, including football fan forums, darknet drug marketplaces and sex chats 😳 @snsbi.bsky.social

Starting off with they keynote by Lasse Hämäläinen (University of Heskinki): English or local language? Language choices in online usernames. @snsbi.bsky.social

Just settling in for the (online) @snsbi.bsky.social conference: Names Abroad: Names From Abroad, organised by Peder Gammeltoft (University of Bergen). I'll try to post some highlights from the papers. Looks like a great line up: www.snsbi.org.uk/2025_autumn_...

why are people on the left using "populist" in a positive way now, you shouldn't want your politicians to be populists, "populism" isn't good

Research should inform policy but that’s tricky if it is almost entirely driven by policy. The independence of research is key to change because if you fund only research that responds to policy (even good policy) you’re less innovative, creative & responsive to the open options of the future.

I’ve thought about this scene ever day since it aired

In the whole half century period since the dictator Idi Amin's expelled migrants in 1972, can anybody identify any *democratic* government at all that has stripped past grants of permanent residence from a large number of legal migrants & removed/expelled them?

A picture of a foggy street

Edinburgh castle failing to render, likely thanks to the AWS outage

"But soft! What light through yonder window... BRAKES!"

A 1,400 year old ditch

The border between Cantwara rīce (Kingdom of the Kentish) & Sūþseaxna rīce (South Saxons) is still the border between the counties of Kent & Sussex

A 1,400 year old ditch created to stop conflict, by marking the border to avoid confusion, is our southern woodland boundary

love that this makes it sound like the minister was, if anything, pro heist

Jenrick casting 1980s British football hooliganism as something that was easily dealt with by police and not an era defining issue which we're still living with the consequences of today... He's genuinely the most unserious person in British politics rn

Blackboard VLE AI helper button labelled 'Auto-generate discussion'.

Me daydreaming in seminars...

Bon, ça avance. Reste à savoir où proposer ça...

Hurrah! My new book, Europe in the Eleventh Century: Beyond Revolution and Reform is officially published today by Oxford University Press. 1/5 global.oup.com/academic/pro...

“You know that U2 album you didn’t want? Yeah, that’s our entire business model now.”

HOY! On a choppy Hamnavoe crossing last week. Old Man in the distant haze.

Also surely both can be true? I like to keep my books in good condition, even ones I've read. But I also have books that I take on holiday and are scuffed, filled with sand and have wine splodges on, as well as books that I underline and scribble in. Each book has a different purpose.

I watched it all! There is a lot to review.

Barnsley man in hospital after three-day cola bottles binge Nathan Rimmington ate his way through 3kg of sweets - and doctors were shocked he survived.

I don't know why, but this is, from start to finish, one of the funniest things I have read in ages. I hope this man is living his best life now.

www.bbc.com/news/article...