college

[tigerlily11]

Not sure if this is the right place but I'll put it here any way.
Why is Magdelen college know as Maudlin? Apologise if the spelling is wrong.
Thanks for your time

[jno]

I think it's just a case of spelling falling out of sync with pronunciation, like Featherstonehaugh being pronounced Fanshaw.

[Whickerman]

about half way down this page:
http://books.google.ie/books?id=IrcZEZ1bOJsC&p g=PA297&lpg=PA297&dq=magdalene+college+maudlin &source=web&ots=7Pszlc4A5r&sig=97ABGMcOq3tJg6Q g607LUkzTBZU&hl=en

[shaneystar2]

The Oxford Mail hasthis to say ...I'm still none the wiser !
http://archive.oxfordmail.net/1999/2/24/82846. html

[jno]

That page seems to have been electronically torn out, Whickerman - it just says pages.... are not available. Must be something incendiary on them

[tigerlily11]

Yep I'm none the wiser for reading that either.

[Count_Emmup]

Jno - scroll down a bit and you will come to the explanation!

[tigerlily11]

Ahhhhh I see. I thought that might be the case but being just an ex comprehensive school inmate I thought it might be something more strange and imaginative.

[jno]

aha, it's working today, Count, perhaps because I'm on a different computer? Yesterday it was refusing to show me either of the pages.

[Octavius]

In the Oxford and Cambridge colleges of that name, Maudlin is the original common English way of pronouncing Saint Magdalen/Magdalene's name.

In historical records - and the college charter for Oxford - it was written as Mawdeleyn. Probably to "wryte wurds as they be sownded in speech".

Magdalen/e with a hard �g� is the Latin way of saying it.