I was wondering if there is some linguistic/historical reason why the last name “Lloyd” is written with a double L.
Asker: Walter, 20 years old
Answer
Dear Walter,
Yes, there’s an excellent reason for that. The name is Welsh and the double L represents a sound that does not exist in English (or Dutch) and is difficult to represent in written form: the “voiceless alveolar lateral fricative”. An alternative spelling is Llwyd. The meaning is “grey”.
Answered by
Prof. Gert Buelens
English and American literature American studies Gender and sexuality
university of Ghent
http://www.ugent.be
.