The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-07-26
.Surnames of The Southland
 Their Origin and Meaning
NUMBER ".
BY sAMuEr. GRANT oLIPHANT, A. M, Ph D. mmmu.mumvw vw IsrlE - unumumuHmmmMwNwwwH

CONTENTS.
 Descriptive Nicknames = Biondei, Blount, Bundell. Bragg, Campbell, Flan- aEan. Film. Glynn. Gwin, Gwynne' Kennedy. flanagan. Linn, Macknn- o'Duinn. Sweeney. Wynns.
 The fourth great category or sur names as they appear in our nomen- ciature consists of those that were originally nicknames more or less oe- scriptive of those to whom they were applied. The principal varieties may be catalogued as follows:
 T. Those expressive of sucn pny- sicaI or external characteristics as age. size, shape, complexion. hair. dress, ac- ccutrements etc. Such surnames as Senior. Little, Stout, Young. Arm strong. Crnikshank, Whitehead, etc, are transparent examples. Such sur names are found all over the Indo- Eurpean territory, are common in Eng iIsh, stiil more frequent among the Celts. and in antiquity are most famil- lar in the Latin which abounds with arch instances as Senex, (old); Rufus. (red); Cincinnatus. (curly head); Cai- vus, (bald): Crassus, tcorpulenD: Bar batus, tbearded); Glabrio, (smooth- faced): Flaccus, (hap -eared) ;--the cog nomen of the poet Horace, Capito. (bfg head); Flavius, (yeliow); Fuscus, fbrown): Labeo. (blubber-lipped); Lus- GUS. (one- -eyed); Macer. dank); Naso. (big nose)--cognomen of the poet Ovid --Paetus, (blink eyed): Scaevola. Cleft handed); Stlus. (pug nosed); Strabo. tsquinty); Sulla, (pimpiy); Vaienus. fstrong); varus, (knock-kneed); etc. etc.
 IT. Those expressive of mental or moral characteristics. temperament. etc. such as Gay. Jolly. Moody. Proud. Hardhead. Sly, Truebody. etc. The Latin again has many familiar exam pies as Brutus, (duilard1s Bihulus, (tippIe); Cato, (cautious); Fru- gi. (worthy); Lepidus. (pleas- ant); Probus. lupright)' Pu- dens, (modest); Sapiens, twfse); Serenus (good natured). Severus (stern) Tranquiliis tcalm), verus ttrue); Felix (happy): Fetus (merry)' etc. etc.
 III. Those derived from the animal or vegetable Kingdom. These may sometimes be due to early clan totems or later armorial bearings. sometimes to the real or fancied possession of ty- pical qualities. sometimes to some one or other of various, circumstances. in- , cidents. etc Here belong such names as Buck. Hart, stagg. Lion. Wolf, Fish. Jay, Peacock, Stork, Nightingale, Mus tard, Peascod. Pepper. etc. Great care must be taken, however. with this va riety for many that appear to belong here really belong elsewhere. So Thorne. Chestnut. Pine, etc. are usu- ally local. Many animal and bird names may be local, derived from the signs of inns, shops, etc. Still others are corruptions of various kinds and far from what they seem to be. such Is the case with Onions. Roach, Sal mon. Haddock, Oates, etc.
 Latin again furnishes many of the most interesting parallels. such as Aper (boar), Aquilla (eagle), Buteo (falcon), Caepio (onion), Cicero (vetch) CapeIla fshe goat), Corvinus (from cor vus. crowl. Mus (mouse). Piso( peal, Porcius (from poncus 'pigO Scorfa (sow), Ursus (bear), Verrus, (boar), etc. etc.
 We shall now consider some of the surnames of the Southland that fall within the general class.
 Bragg-This surname is from the ad- iective brag' but it does not necessa- riiy mean the braggart,' the boaster.' as usually supposed.
 In the surname period this adJec- tive had the meaning spirited, brisk, lively. valiant. as well as hanghly. boastfuI'
 William Palerne, writing about 1850. Illustrates both sets of meanings, the former in verse 304S:
 Best in his bodi boIdest and brag- gest in armes.' and the later in verse 2352:
 "Summe that bere hem now brag schuld bIede or euen.'
 One of the lyrics of 1900 has:
 That maketh us so brag and bolde. and Daus about 1860 writes:
 They are as bragge and as proude as pecockes.'
 These quotations will sufice to show that the idea of spirited. valiant is at least well attested throughout the surname period and consequently as likely to be the meaning of the sur name as the one so commonly given.