XPost: rec.arts.books.tolkien, alt.fan.tolkien   
   From: ojevind.lang@bredband.net   
      
   "Steve Morrison"  skrev i meddelandet   
   news:QoadnabxcM9FHMTRnZ2dnUVZ_j-dnZ2d@posted.toastnet...   
      
   [snip]   
      
   > It is rather odd that the masculine form of the name changed long   
   > ago from "Stephan" to "Stephen" while the feminine form is nearly   
   > always still spelled with an "a". I spell my name S-t-e-p-h-e-n,   
   > and the only example of a "Stephan" I can think of offhand is the   
   > fantasy author Stephan Grundy. The name BTW comes from the Greek   
   > for "crown".   
      
   However, in Sweden and denmark, Stefan is the normal spelkling of the name.   
   One also finds Staffan and, very occasionally, Steffen, which I thnk is   
   originally Low German.   
     In Sweden, you can name your child just about anything, even with the   
   silliest spelling. The people who register names *can* object if they find   
   the name positively hurtful to the child - like Stupid or Mussolina, for   
   example. (Both examples are genuine.)   
      
   Öjevind   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)