E-text prepared by Jon Richfield
THE ROMANCE OF NAMES
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Advertising material that appeared at the start of the book
BY THE SAME AUTHOR
THE ROMANCE OF WORDS
"A book of extraordinary interest; those who do not yet realise how
enthralling a subject word-history is could not do better than sample
its flavour in Mr. Weekley's admirable book."
--Spectator. Third Edition. 6s. net.
SURNAMES
"A study of the origin and significance of surnames, full of
fascination for the general reader."
--Truth. Second Edition. 6s. net.
AN ETYMOLOGICAL DICTIONARY OF MODERN ENGLISH
"It is a very great pleasure to get a dictionary from Mr. Weekley.
One knows from experience that Mr. Weekley would contrive to avoid
unnecessary dullness, even if he were compiling a railway guide, but
that he would also get the trains right."
--Mr. J. C. SQUIRE in The Observer. Crown 4to. £ 2 2s. net.
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Third Edition, Revised
THE ROMANCE OF NAMES
by
ERNEST WEEKLEY, M.A.
Professor of French and Head of the Modern Language Department
at University College, Nottingham;
Sometime Scholar of Trinity College, Cambridge
London
John Murray, Albemarle Street, W.
1922
First Edition January 1914
Second Edition March 1914
Third Edition May 1922
All Rights Reserved
CONTENTS
THE ROMANCE OF NAMES
PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION 1
PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION 2
PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION 3
CHAPTER I. OF SURNAMES IN GENERAL 7
PERSONAL NAMES 8
NICKNAMES 9
MYTHICAL ETYMOLOGIES 10
ALTERNATIVE ORIGINS 11
NAMES DESIRABLE OR UNDESIRABLE 13