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Richard, May I say how much I welcome your suggestion to use REED-L more extensively for a discussion of mutual editorial problems and other Reedery. I have always found discussions among REED editors at Kalamazoo, Leeds, or other general conferences such a hot-house affair that they never really allow consideration of the many small and sometimes not very interesting questions which (nevertheless) bug the daylights out of REED editors. I for one would be happy to post some questions here. For a start, since you bring up the waits and their non-relation to watchmen (a derivation I've never believed), any comments on the origin of the term in this sense? There's no reason to doubt the etymology from either Fr. 'waiter' or Ger. 'wahta' (or similar words) - but their sense does derive from acts of watching... Any suggestions? Prof. David Klausner/Centre for Medieval Studies/University of Toronto [log in to unmask] phone: 416-978-6752 fax: 416-971-1398