Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 10.djvu/313

 Origin and Meaning of Profer Names.

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��■est in that historic old town. The by, and a cenotaph placed above the

•church beneath whose sanctuary lie dead by an eminent friend of the

the ashes of this founder of the C"al- ardent j)reacher tells the story of his

vinistic order of Methodists is hard life, labors, and virtues.

��ORIGIN AND MEANING OF PROPER NAMES. By Edwin D. Sanborn, LL. D.

��A man without a name is as near nobody as we can well imagine. If lie does anything, says anything, or •even thinks anything worthy of note, he will be observed and named from his prominent characteristics. '■'Sine nomine homo non est," says a Latin proverb. From the beginning, there- fore, men have always borne at least ■one significant name. " The first man is of the earth earthy." Adam took his name from the earth, of which he was formed. The Hebrew word means "red earth." The Latin ''homo" is dissociated with "humus," and with the Roman's " humilis," humble, meant lowly, of the earth. These names point to man's origin — from the dust.

Proper names designate individuals. Originally men had but one name, as Adam, David, Niuus, Cyrus, Socrates, Plato, Cicero, Cato, Paul, and .John. Names were generally imposed to in- dicate some quality or attribute of the infant or some circumstance attend- ing his birth. The Jews named their children eight days after birth. The Romans named their daughters imme- diately after birth ; their sons on the ninth day, and held a feast called '"'•nominalia." The Greeks usually naraed their children on the tenth day

��after birth, and consecrated the day to sacrifices and feasting.

Hebrew names very often were his- torical. Moses means " drawn out of the water;" Isaac means "laughter," referring to the levity of the mother when his birth was announced by the angel. Another parent named her child Gad, for she said "A troop cometh." David was the "well beloved," the youngest and the hope of the house, the flower of the familv. The dying Rachel named her infant " Benoni," the son of ray sorrow ; but Jacob called him "Benjamin," the son of my strength. Other children were named from peculiarities of form, features, or complexion. The Greeks and Romans were careful to impose upon persons and places names of good omen. With the Romans such names as Victor, Castor, Faustus, and Probus were called " bona nomina," or " fausta nomina." Tiiey sought men with good names to offer their sacrifices, found colonies, and lead armies." Hence the proverb, " Bo- num nomen, bonum omeu." The fair sounding name was a presumption of success. With the Greeks warlike terms are often incorporated in the names of their heroes.

Here we mav ask. Did the name

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