urther examples see Chapter XV.

It may be noted here that, apart from dissimilation, the sounds l, n,
r, have a general tendency to become confused, e.g. Phillimore is for
Finamour (Dearlove), which also appears as Finnemore and Fenimore, the
latter also to be explained from fen and moor. Catlin is from
Catherine. Balestier, a cross-bow man, gives Bannister, and Hamnet
and Hamlet both occur as the name of one of Shakespeare's sons.
Janico or Jenico, Fr. Janicot may be the origin of Jellicoe.

We also get the change of r to l in Hal, for Harry, whence Hallett,
Hawkins (Halkins), and the Cornish Hockin, Mal or Mol for Mary, whence
Malleson, Mollison, etc., and Pell for Peregrine. This confusion is
common in infantile speech, e.g. I have heard a small child express
great satisfaction at the presence on the table of "blackbelly dam."

METATHESIS

Metathesis, or the transposition of sound, chiefly affects l and r,
especially the latter. Our word cress is from Mid. Eng. kers, which
appears in Karslake, Toulmin is for Tomlin, a double dim., -el-in, of
Tom, Grundy is for Gundry, from Anglo-Sax. Gundred, and Joe Gargery
descended from a Gregory. Burnell is for Brunel, dim. of Fr. brun,
brown, and Thrupp is for Thorp, a village (Chapter XIII). Strickland
was formerly Stirkland, Cripps is the same as Crisp, from Mid. Eng.
crisp, curly. Prentis Jankin had--

"Crispe here, shynynge as gold so fyn"

(D. 304);

and of Fame we are told that

"Her heer was oundie (wavy) and crips."

(House of Fame, iii. 296.)

Both names may also be short for Crispin, the etymology being the same
in any case. Apps is sometimes for asp, the tree now called by the
adjectival name aspen (cf. linden). We find Thomas atte apse in the
reign of Edward III.

The letters l, n, r also tend to disappear from no other cause than
rapid or careless pronunciation.

Hence we get Home for Holme (Chapter XII), Ferris for Ferrers, a
French local name, Batt for Bartholomew, Gatty for Gertrude, Dallison
for d'Alencon. The loss of _r_ after a vowel is also exemplified by
Foster for Forster, Pannell and Pennell for Parnell (sometimes), Gath
for Garth (Chapter XIII), and Mash for Marsh. To the loss of n before
s we owe such names as Pattison, Paterson, etc., son of Paton, the
dim. of Patrick, and Robison for Robinson, and also a whole group of
names like Jenks and Jinks for Jenkins (John), Wilkes for Wilkins,
Gilkes, Danks, Perks, Hawkes, Jukes