names

[drydem]

one of the interesting things about american culture is that names are so unknowable. I mean, I know what Benjamin means, but most people don't. In ancient times and to some degree in more homogenous cultures, names are more commonly direct from language. In ancient Judea, the name Michael meant who is like god, and if you wanted to say "who is like god" you would say michael. Pierre means pretty basically stone. But in america we all use foreign or invented names, not being able to communicate the information that the name has because of our heterogeneous culture. It's an odd thing.