The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-04-02
STUDIES IN NOMENCLATURE.
Some CuriOsities of DerivatiOn-A
Good Deal in a Name For Those
who Know How TO Look For It,


who Know How to Look For 1t.
From the New York Post
The names of persons, both Christian
and surname, are important factors in the
lives of their possessors. Standing in So
ciety and success in business in many in
stances have been determined by pleas
ing name. Some names seem when pro-
nounced to furnish at once an agreeable
Introduction to their bearer. The writer
knows OF a firm whose sign bears the
name of Hope Comfort This seems TO
be the acme of smoothness. Contrast, IL
you please another actual firm name, that
of Tighe & Twist.
Surnames are not very old, and their use
in England in a general way was not COM
mon until long after the Norman conquest.
The Christian name, so-called, is as old as
history, and goes back to the beginning of
things. Being given in infancy, this name
is generally a pleasing one, and more or
less a token of affection. Surnames, on
the other hand, in ancient times more
than now, had meaning, and were not
bestowed simply to distinguish the bearer
from his fellow man or woman. The sur
name was indicative of a bodily peculiari-
ty, of an occupation, or of a resemblance
in some manner, to animate or inanimate
objects. They were, therefore, not given
until the persons who bore them had ar
rived at maturity.
All the various Smith families here had
their rise family might have had four
boys all known as John, who became after
the lapse of years John Smith, that is.
John the blacksmith John Marble, or John
the marblesmith, or worker in marble;
John Baker, the John that became a ba-
ker: John Heath, the John that took up
farming and SO on. In the Christian
name is 70 be found a variety reaching
aka m
equal division as to the sensible and ludi-
crous. Some names seem to intimate that
a Joke was intended in the giving. The
first born son OF a Mr.. New was called
Something, the second Nothing. A gradu-
ate of HaiN ard by the name of Spear had
as a Christian name that OF William
Shake.
Beside the old combination OF names In
business partnerships, there are combina-
tons that are even more singular In the
connection between name and surname.
Take for instance Miss Anguish Crack
bone as also Mrs. Waitstill Trot and Mr..
Ringer Knell. In the same direction
some names are contradictory, as the IA
miliar surname Noyes, while DucklOw
seems entirely harmonious. In early New
England times, as the records show, pious
sentences we're frequently used as Chris
tan names as Search the Scriptures
Brown, Praise God Tinker and Hate Evil
Smith. A gentleman was living la Eng
land In 1858 by the name Of ELI Lama
Sabachthani Pressnal. The romantic IN
Christian names Is not uncommon. The
writer would define the word romantic
here as meaning name generally derived
from 10 known source, giving In Itself no
clew TO its starting point; as. for instance,
do the real names Matrassa. Phnura Me-
linda and Lauria. There are romantic
names however. that do mean something
like Garafelia C'dear daughter'O. Rosetta.
and Serena.
TO the person who IL pleased 10 obsereve
the names on the Broadway sign boards
will be afforded quite a pathological treat
IL n said that language was given TO
conceal thought on the signboards names
are given that conceal meaninRs. that Ia
many instances reveal the character Of