Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 1.djvu/287

 1. MARCH 19, 1904.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

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reference, having no better clue than the mere name of the author, yet I have met with some success, enabling me, at all events, to advance the inquiry a stage without definitely settling it. H. Blaze de Bury translated Goethe's 'Faust' into French, and his version of the last two lines of the second part runs thus :

Le Feminin Eternel

Nous attire au ciel.

The volume I referred to is dated 1847, so that, unless an earlier instance can be found <)f the use of the English form of the phrase, it is possible nay, likely that English writers took it from the French. Be that, however, as it may, it has yet to be shown that the French form is not earlier than the English. EDWARD LATHAM.

"DRUG m THE MARKET" (10 th S. i. 149). Dr. Brewer, in his ' Diet, of Phrase and

name of a Brazilian poet. 4. Folger is the Norwegian form of a heroic name which in the German 'Nibelungen Lied' appears as Folker. 5. Ilonka is not Italian, but is the Hungarian for Helena. 6. Jaime, described as Porto Rican, is Aragonese for James ; the Catalans write Jauine. 7. Vilhjalmr is Ice- landic for William. 8. Norwegian Yetta is short for Henrietta. 9. Zenas is good Greek. Novelties in Christian names are coming more and more to the front, particularly for women. Draga is the Servian equivalent for Caroline. Etrenne is now given to girls born on New Year's Day. Feo, shortened from Feodorowna, should be restricted, but is not, to cases where the father's name is Theodore. Natica is American, from the Natick tribe of Indians. One hears of ladies christened Ismailia and Rhodesia, and one wonders why somebody does not revive the quaint old name Africa. To me, Hibernis Hibemim;

Fable,' says that this means anything so Irish names seem the most effective of all ; common as to be unsaleable ; that drug is e .g., Barba (Barbara), Clodagh, Dervorgilla the trench drogue = rubbish, as "Ce n'est (anglicized as Dorothy), Lassarina (i.e., lasair- quedela drogue"; hence droguet (drugget), \fhiona, blush of wine), Oonagh (Una, some-

inferior carpet -cloth made of rubbish or times anglicized as Juno), Sabia, Sheelah

inferior wool, fec. Thus also Prof. Skeat in (j n Gaelic Sile, anglicized Celia), &c. Among

his Concise Dictionary ' with regard to the " words drug and drugget; but he does not

allude to the phrase.

J. HOLDEN MAC-MICHAEL.

Highland female names is the odd-looking Uere, pronounced like our word ewer, and in Gaelic written Eamhair.

JAMES PLATT, Jun.

The late Sir Walter Besant noted the following odd and old Christian names in the Queen. I think it was ' The Voice of the

"HE WHO KNOWS NOT," &C. (10 th S. i. 167).

The origin of these lines is to be found in Hesiod, ' Works and Days,' 293-7. The pas- sage was very celebrated in antiquity, and is I Flying Day ' that gave utterance to them : quoted by Aristotle, 'Nic. Eth.,' i. 4. Both Athelena, Alditha, Avelina, Alfreda, Anable, Livy (xxii. 29) and Cicero ('Pro Cluent.,' 31) Annice, Amicia, Avice, Clarice, Clemence, refer to it. H. A. STRONG. Elicia, Idonia, Earilda, Basilia, Etheldreda,

The University, Liverpool. | Erneburga, Denys, Olive, Nichola, Eustachia,

Roesia, Petronilla or Pernella, Sabine, and Thepphania (otherwise Tiffany). Others quaint, but not very pretty, were : Alianora, Allesia, Annullia, Albrica, Bonejoya, Cas- sandra, Emota, Evota, Bona, Imanca, Egidia, Isonde, Leusta, Diamanda, Gena, Melivia, Lucekyna, Rayna, Juetta, Castania, Scolas- tica, Swanilda, Salerna, Willelma. But fancy calling your lovely daughter Gunnora, Gun- nilila, Magota, Mazera, Orabilia, Richolda,

The full quotation is :

Men are four : He who knows not, and knows not he knows not, he

is a fool shun him ; He who knows not, and knows he knows not, he is

simple teach him ; He who knows, and knows not he knows, he is

asleep wake him ; He who knows, and knows he knows, he is wise

follow him.

This is given in Lady Burton's ' Life of Sir Richard Burton,' and is therein stated to be an Arab proverb. J. H. K.

CURIOUS CHRISTIAN NAMES (10 th S. i. 26,

Massilia, Heliwysa, Hawisia, Dionysia, Lecia, Wyleholta, or Frechesaunchia. Riley, in his Memorials of London,' notes that St. Petronilla the Virgin produced Pernella,

170, 214). MR. WILSON'S interesting list familiarly in Old English "Parnel." He invites a few comments. 1. Bohemian also notes Aleson (now Alice, which we meet Bohurnil is a literal translation of Theophilus. with in Chaucer), Idonia, and Avice. As to 2. Evahn is a phonetic version of Russian names of Hebrew origin, 'A Dictionary of Ivan; the Bulgarians shift the stress to the Scripture Proper Names,' with their pro- first syllable, 1'van. 3. Fagundes is not a nunciations and explanations, was published Christian name, but a patronymic, the sur- J by the Sunday School Union. Many of these