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ArchivesQuestions about the meanings of Katherine and Brendan
First off, I asked this question about Brendan's meaning before. It's just that I've forgotten it, so may I please ask again?
1. How did many baby name books derive Brendan from a root meaning "smelly hair"? Why didn't they know Brendan meant "prince"?
2. How could the Romans "falsely derive" Katherine from the root "katharos"? If they just thought, "Why not make a name out of katharos?" hence Katherine, how could that be a false derivation?
Thank you for your time. I hope the second question made sense. :-)
Miranda
1. How did many baby name books derive Brendan from a root meaning "smelly hair"? Why didn't they know Brendan meant "prince"?
2. How could the Romans "falsely derive" Katherine from the root "katharos"? If they just thought, "Why not make a name out of katharos?" hence Katherine, how could that be a false derivation?
Thank you for your time. I hope the second question made sense. :-)
Miranda
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Replies
brendan and katherine
The 'smelly hair' error is a fairly modern error - people working on Irish names in the early 20th century were trying to find Irish roots for all Irish names. As Brendan is a borrowing of Welsh brenin (king), this approach was doomed to failure, and led them to the wrong conclusions.
The Romans probably quite intentionally reinterpreted Katerina for a more 'holy' meaning - see also Veronica.
The 'smelly hair' error is a fairly modern error - people working on Irish names in the early 20th century were trying to find Irish roots for all Irish names. As Brendan is a borrowing of Welsh brenin (king), this approach was doomed to failure, and led them to the wrong conclusions.
The Romans probably quite intentionally reinterpreted Katerina for a more 'holy' meaning - see also Veronica.
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These are guesses ...
Firstly, many cultures prefer to give children names of ill omen, on the assumption that any jealous god passing by will ignore them; if they had names with beautiful, desirable meanings, the jg might see them as competition! So, given those presuppositions and the possibility of glossing Brendan as either Stinking Hair or Prince, the Stinking Hair meaning becomes pretty possible. Point is, what the ancient Irish assumed their god(s) would be likely to do, and that I don't know.
As for Katharine, lots of words look like other words that they've got nothing at all to do with. And if a name like Katharine existed and so did the word katharos, it would be easy to assume that they were one and the same. It wouldn't be a matter of inventing a name to fit the word. (For instance, where I live it is perfectly respectable for the speakers of some local languages to name their daughters Nakedi. This wouldn't happen in other parts of the world, and if it did, people would easily draw the wrong conclusion.)
Plus, the ancient Romans were total klutzes at etymology, and capable of just about anything!
Firstly, many cultures prefer to give children names of ill omen, on the assumption that any jealous god passing by will ignore them; if they had names with beautiful, desirable meanings, the jg might see them as competition! So, given those presuppositions and the possibility of glossing Brendan as either Stinking Hair or Prince, the Stinking Hair meaning becomes pretty possible. Point is, what the ancient Irish assumed their god(s) would be likely to do, and that I don't know.
As for Katharine, lots of words look like other words that they've got nothing at all to do with. And if a name like Katharine existed and so did the word katharos, it would be easy to assume that they were one and the same. It wouldn't be a matter of inventing a name to fit the word. (For instance, where I live it is perfectly respectable for the speakers of some local languages to name their daughters Nakedi. This wouldn't happen in other parts of the world, and if it did, people would easily draw the wrong conclusion.)
Plus, the ancient Romans were total klutzes at etymology, and capable of just about anything!
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So then what would be correct to assume that Katherine *could* mean pure. nm
nothing in here... :)
nothing in here... :)
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I meant: So then ONE would be correct to assume that Katherine *could* mean pure. nm
nothing in here... :)
nothing in here... :)
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Assume away! I don't know what connection there could be between the meaning of a name and the personality of the bearer; in fact my grandmother always claimed that women named Violet were hefty, corseted, and with loud voices and flat feet!
The people who name their daughters Katharine probably do so because they think it's a stylish, pretty, versatile name, so that would be its meaning for them. (Or, if there's a particular role model like Katharine Hepburn or the lady in the dry-cleaner's shop, the meaning of the name would be their positive thoughts about whoever they knew or knew of that bore it.)
I can't imagine that people would ever name their daughters Cecily if they "believed" that it "meant": blind. Nor do I believe that even the ancient Romans "believed" there was any link between the Caecilii and visual impairment, any more than they would have "believed" that vaginal delivery was impossible among the Julii Caesares. And what about all the supposedly bitter and rebellious people named Mary? Very pleasant women, most of 'em.
The people who name their daughters Katharine probably do so because they think it's a stylish, pretty, versatile name, so that would be its meaning for them. (Or, if there's a particular role model like Katharine Hepburn or the lady in the dry-cleaner's shop, the meaning of the name would be their positive thoughts about whoever they knew or knew of that bore it.)
I can't imagine that people would ever name their daughters Cecily if they "believed" that it "meant": blind. Nor do I believe that even the ancient Romans "believed" there was any link between the Caecilii and visual impairment, any more than they would have "believed" that vaginal delivery was impossible among the Julii Caesares. And what about all the supposedly bitter and rebellious people named Mary? Very pleasant women, most of 'em.
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