The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-11-01

Contents.
 Metronymics--
 Names by request-Purnell. sisson. Cass. Cash. Brooks.
 Allied names-Parnell. PerneIl. Cis- son, casson, Case. Cast. coss. Brooke, Brook. etc.
 Metronynaics.
 Metronymics. "mother-names." have never been so frequent in Indo-Eu- ropean name-systems as the patronym- ics, "father-names," have been. yet they have been a recognized type from the most ancient times.
 The ancient Hlndoo esteemed 1t a compliment to be addressed by term that testified to a distinguished ma ternal ancestor. Thus in theS great Sanskrit epic, the Mahabbarata. Yud- isthira is frequently addressed by the iHstronymic Kaunteya, son of Kunti." az well as by his patrolymics Pandava. Hson of Pandu." and Kauravya, "de- seendant of Kuru."
 in the early days of Greece. even In the mythic period. Apollo is Leto- fdes, son of Eeto," Chlron is Phily- rides. son of Philyra." Perseus is Da- naides ''son. of Danae," etc. Euripides must reflect custom of his time re- Epecting gynaecocratic householda. when In his ''Electra," (930 ff.) he makes Electra speak thus to the dead AEgisthos: But you hear this in all Argos: the woman's husband. not the mans wife; and yet this Is unseem- ly. that the woman bear sway in the house and not the man. Verify I hate those children who bear not the name of a manly sire, but that of their mother. in the town"
 Metronymics are not the rarest birds in English nomenclature. Many good people are strongly opposed to any such explanation of their surnames bie hypotheses to avoid 1t. This is due to an entirely erroneous idea that such a name necessarily indicates a bar sinister upon their family escut- cheons. This is undoubtedly true in some instances, but some patronymics tell the same story to those who know their meaning.
 A posthurnous birth is quite as reasonable an Interpretation of a met ronymlc as an illegitimate birth and fs undoubtedly the origin in some inc stances. It is not necessary, however, to asuyne either, for such early re- cords as the Yorkshire Poll Tax List of 1873 show an astonishingly large number of children with surnames from their mothers. personal names. while their fathers are still alive. Yet some writers have claimed that. the saIic law holds absolutely in English nomenclature.
 The surname at the time 1t arises must be significant. That Is the one essential. No other surname was ever given at that time. The very purpose of a surname was to distinguish the individual from others to others. If, then, the mother were the stronger character. if she ruled the roost," as sometimes in ancient Argos, if she were the better known, either for a lovely character. for kindly deeds of mercy in the neighborhood, for gra- cious ways and winsome speech, or as virago, termagant, common scold and trouble-maker, or for numerous other causes, or If she was one who brought a large dowry or great estate to her lord or even if the fathers name was not distinctivs enough in that partIcular locality sRfiiciently to Identity the chiI ( VI ben man fionsd. our English ancestors had no apparent scruples against bestowinE or accept ing a metronymic surname The fact is so demonstrahle that denial is use- less. There is no need of supersensi- tiyeness. A metronymic is often just