Michaeln.

Etymology: < the name of St Michael, attested in numerous forms from Old English onwards (also as personal name: see below) < post-classical Latin Michahel (Vulgate; also, as a personal name, in various forms, as Micael , Micahel , Michael ) < Hellenistic Greek Μιχαήλ < Hebrew Mīḵā'ēl , lit. ‘Who is like God?’, the name of an archangel in the Hebrew Scriptures (Daniel 10:13, 12:1), post-biblical Jewish writings, and the New Testament (Jude 9, Revelation 12:7) having numerous roles including protector and advocate of the people of Israel and opponent of Satan, also used as a forename. Compare German Michael (the name of the archangel, and as a forename; with sense 1a compare German Michaeli, Michaelis), Michel (as a forename), French Michel, Italian Michele, Spanish Miguel, Portuguese Miguel, Romanian Mihai, Russian Mixail.In addition to the forms listed above found in extended senses and in compounds, variants of the personal name, with an approximate indication of date, include the following: α. OE–ME Micael , Mychael , eME ( Ormulum) Michaæl , ME Micael , Micahel , Mikael , 15 Myghchaell ; Sc. pre-17 Micheall . β. OE Mihhael , OE–ME Mihael , ME Mighel , Miȝhel , Mihhal , Myghell , Myȝhel , Myȝhell , 15 Mighell , Mihill , My helle . γ. lOE–ME Michel , ME–15 Michell , ME Mechel , Michelle , Mychel , 15 Mychell ; Sc. pre-17 Mitchell , Michell . δ. lME Miel . See also variants at Michaelmas n. The evidence suggests that variation in the treatment of the Latin medial consonant spelt ch has led to a number of different pronunciations of this word both as personal name and as an element in compounds. That a pronunciation of the consonant as an unvoiced stop (the normal pronunciation in modern English) has been used in all periods is suggested by spellings with c and k in Old English and Middle English. Adoption of the Latin ch as the fricative /x/ in Old English is implied by Old English and Middle English spellings with h and hh . This shared the subsequent development of /x/ following a high front vowel (in words such as nigh and sigh ), as is shown by Middle English spellings with ȝh and gh (the latter persisting into the 16th cent.); early loss of this phoneme in intervocalic position (perhaps via /j/) is evidenced by spellings with no medial consonant symbol from early Middle English onwards (compare also the derived surname Miell , Miall , Myall ) and by the Mile- form of Michaelmas n., which additionally shows loss of the vowel of the second syllable. A pronunciation with medial /tʃ/, due to Anglo-Norman influence, was evidently used in Middle English, as shown by spellings of Michaelmas n. with ssch and early modern English spellings with tch (spellings with ch are ambiguous), as well as the derived surname Mitchell . The β. forms occur predominantly in application to the archangel or his feast; for the forename the γ. forms are found down to the 17th cent. With use of the personal name compare also the illustrative quots. below:OE Ælfric Catholic Homilies: 1st Ser. (Royal) (1997) xxxiv. 474 Is nu geleaflic þæt se heahengel michahel hæbbe gymene cristenra manna.OE Blickling Homilies 201 Min nama is Michael; ic eom heahengel Heofoncyninges.1340 Ayenbite (1866) 1 Þis boc is dan Michelis of Northgate, y-write..of his oȝene hand.c1384 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(2)) Dan. x. 13 Mychael [a1425 L.V. Myȝhel]. ▸ ?a1513 W. Dunbar Poems (1998) I. 227 Twa curis or thre hes vplandis Michell [rhymes knitchell, nychell (= L. nihil)].1611 Bible (King James) Rev. xii. 7 There was warre in heauen, Michael and his Angels fought against the dragon.