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.

Comments

[teleidoplex]

See, and here I've always thought it was weird that the main meaning of a person's name could/should be limited to a socially agreed upon linguistic association.

But then, I've been spoiled rotten by being named something unique like Alyc, the meaning of which has largely developed through it's association with me (and the America Latina y el Caribe).

[bneuensc.livejournal.com]

Socially agreed upon linguistic connotations are hardly the only connotations a name can have -- Michael, for example, calls up archangel connotations in addition to the literal meaning.

As for my own name, I kind of get to pick which linguistic connotation I'm going with anyway. :-) By itself, "Bryn" is a Welsh name, and means hill, but my mother meant it as a shortening of "Brynhild" and other such Scandinavian names, which means I can just as legitimately say it means "armor."

(And then there's my last name. New clearing in the woods. Unless, of course, you took German and don't recognize it as Swiss German, in which case you will probably try to translate it as New Swan. <g>)

[teleidoplex]

Yeah, but when I think of Bryn, I think of:
"slender-girl-I-met-in-Wales-with-large-eyes-who-is-graceful-like-a-dancer-and-who-likes-sharp-pointy-objects-who-is-really-good-about-sticking-to-her-writing-even-if-it-means-the-ST-list-sometimes-gets-innundated-with-her-character-stuff-and-who-has-a-peculiar-intonantion-in-her-voice-that-I-associate-with-Harvard-even-if-nobody-at-Harvard-actually-speaks-like-that-and-who-has-a-really-keen-boy"

Personally, I think my linguistic associations with your name fit you better, *and* my method of name interpretation is more heterotopic.

But I may just be bitter because through the other method, my name doesn't mean anything.

[bneuensc.livejournal.com]

<stops giggling, picks self up off floor>

Many thanks. That was a good antidote to current semi-bitterness caused by a Japanese assignment and a quiz today and two assignments tomorrow and a chapter test the next day, and the white stuff in the air I refused to acknowledge today, and the fact that spring break can't get here soon enough.

But really. Does awareness of the linguistic meaning of a name in any way lessen or eliminate the built-up social meaning? It's just another layer. Increased heterotopia. ^_^


<pause>



I think I'm going to have to start inventing meanings for "Alyc" now. A la Darlene's story. Only with more wackiness.

Or maybe that's just the "I DON'T WANT TO DO MY JAPANESE!!!!!" talking.