I was glad

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Quite right. Actually, it's odd that Old English (Anglo-Saxon) didn't use k at all - King and Queen (for instance) were cyning and cwen. It was the Normans who brought over the k and qu.

This hadn't occured to me before! And yet "k" is Germanic (Elektra, etc) and "Saxon"? Might the "c" words (stop sniggering at the back) be a remnant of Prythonic/Celtic? (Modern Welsh and IIRC Scots & Irish gaelic doesn't have a "k", unless imposed upon by the saesnigs/sassenachs?)

[Pabmusic]

...Might the "c" words (stop sniggering at the back) be a remnant of Prythonic/Celtic? (Modern Welsh and IIRC Scots & Irish gaelic doesn't have a "k", unless imposed upon by the saesnigs/sassenachs?)

You might be right. You see, Anglo-Saxon was first written down in runes - as were other Germanic dialects, but the Latin alphabet was adopted from about 800 - by which time its speakers had settled in England and Lowland Scotland, where they'd have come across non-Anglo-Saxon models. The other Germanic tribes, who also gradually abandoned runes, would have done so after the Angles, Saxons and Jutes had settled in Britain.

[ardcarp]

I recall a conversation with my sister (who lives in Norway and is a translator) about the use of 'lady' and 'woman'. This arose because I have always refused to call female choir-members 'ladies', have caused some to flinch by calling them 'women', and have settled on SAs. I wondered if the class implications applied in Norway. It is apparently even more of a sin to call a female kvinne (woman) as opposed to dame (lady). So much for Scandinavian egalitarianism and classlessness!

Sorry...bit off-topic. It all started off with a 'K'.

[Pabmusic]

...This arose because I have always refused to call female choir-members 'ladies', have caused some to flinch by calling them 'women', and have settled on SAs. I wondered if the class implications applied in Norway. It is apparently even more of a sin to call a female kvinne (woman) as opposed to dame (lady). So much for Scandinavian egalitarianism and classlessness!

Sorry...bit off-topic. It all started off with a 'K'.

Sorry to prolong this off-topic subject, but... 'Woman' comes from the Anglo-Saxon wifman, which means female (wif) person (man). The male equivalent was wæpman - person (man) with a weapon (wæp). This was almost certainly a mildly smutty joke (the AS community loved jokes). Of course, we've now kidnapped 'man' for the male contingent.

The wif of wifman helps to explain words like midwife (female who stays 'mid' a mother-to-be), housewife, fishwife and the like.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Sorry to prolong this off-topic subject, but...

Don't apologise. It's extremely interesting.
And it's relevant.

[french frank]

Sorry to prolong this off-topic subject, but... 'Woman' comes from the Anglo-Saxon wifman, which means female (wif) person (man).

As distinct from a 'lady', a hláf-*dīge or loaf kneader. Distinct from 'lord', hláfweard - the keeper of the loaf.

'When Adam delved and Eve span ...' - who supplied the bread?

[Roehre]

The wif of wifman helps to explain words like midwife (female who stays 'mid' a mother-to-be), housewife, fishwife and the like.

And which to this very day are used in Frisian (huswif, viswif), Dutch (huiswijf, viswijf) and German (Hausweib, Fischweib)

[ardcarp]

As distinct from a 'lady', a hláf-*dīge or loaf kneader. Distinct from 'lord', hláfweard - the keeper of the loaf.

Please tell me that's a spoof, ff. If not, I shall henceforward address female choir members as loaf-kneaders

[french frank]

Please tell me that's a spoof, ff. If not, I shall henceforward address female choir members as loaf-kneaders

Not a spoof but direct from the OED.

The asterisk does indicate an unattested form, but the general sense seems reasonable.

[Pabmusic]

And which to this very day are used in Frisian (huswif, viswif), Dutch (huiswijf, viswijf) and German (Hausweib, Fischweib)

It is said that Frisian is the nearest modern equivalent to Anglo-Saxon. A taste of what English might have been like without all the French (and other) influences.

[ardcarp]

Not a spoof but direct from the OED

[french frank]

I like this paragraph from Wikipedia, especially the notice:

"Ladies and Gentlemen will not pick the flowers; others must not."

[Roehre]

It is said that Frisian is the nearest modern equivalent to Anglo-Saxon. A taste of what English might have been like without all the French (and other) influences.

People from the Fens speaking their own dialect and Dutchmen speaking Frisian do understand each other without much difficulties.

[secret squirrel]

Back to the Vivats: Did not all of the kings in the 20th Century also have "et Imperator" [being Emperors of India] included?

So...
Vivat Rex Georgus / Vivat Rex Georgus et Imperator / Vivat / Vivat / Vi-i-i-i-i-ivat!
still scans with:
Vivat Regina / Vivat Regina Elizabetha / Vivat / Vivat / Vi-i-i-i-i-ivat!
and if the "rex' was dropped it would too with
Vivat Edwardus / Vivat Edwardus et Imperator / Vivat / Vivat / Vi-i-i-i-i-ivat!

Perhaps old copies could provide the definitive answer, though, as I wager the "rex" bit is quite important at a coronation !!!

[mercia]

Vivat Rex Georgus / Vivat Rex Georgus et Imperator / Vivat / Vivat / Vi-i-i-i-i-ivat!
still scans with:
Vivat Regina / Vivat Regina Elizabetha / Vivat / Vivat / Vi-i-i-i-i-ivat!
and if the "rex' was dropped it would too with
Vivat Edwardus / Vivat Edwardus et Imperator / Vivat / Vivat / Vi-i-i-i-i-ivat!

ah yes, how clever
many thanks