[Spellyans] a denewen "aside"

[Michael Everson]

On 10 Feb 2010, at 18:38, Owen Cook wrote:

> Where KK actually agrees with the scribal tradition against Nance, I
> really don't see any grounds for authenticists to argue the point.
> We've already mooted a number of instances where Nance was mistaken,
> or where he simply chose one variant where we have reason to prefer
> another. I'm with Dan on this one.

The scribal tradition is not some sort of grab-bag. "Ooh, it's there,  
it's automatically suitable". It is only one part of the suite of  
things that have to be taken into consideration.

Consider "one", which is attested onan, onen, onyn, onon, and probably  
onun and onin as well. (No, I didn't check.) Evidently "onyn" is most  
frequent, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it's the right one to  
choose.

Of course we have rejected KK's "onan" for a variety of reasons, the  
chief of which is that "onen" is very widely traditional throughout  
Cornwall already.

Michael Everson * http://www.evertype.com/