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Day 15- Description: What’s in a Name? #write31days 2014

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Term of the day: description: a picture in words, visual meaning.

Thoughts:

I’ve discussed how people can be named based on what they do, but what if people were name based on physical attributes as a way to not only describe, but also, to identify them. Would people have names that resemble those of many native tribes around the world? Would “John the baker” become “Thick Hand Baker”? Would “Jane Dogwalker” become “Curly Hair Dogwalker” and so on?

I think it’s safe to say that descriptions don’t always make for the best names, but some people do describe other non-physical qualities with names. Consider a name like Bella, which most people know means “beautiful”, but that’s still focusing on the physical. I’m talking about people who give names that some may regret later on in life, such as: Precious, Prince, and Lovely. These are real names that are growing in popularity. I’m not sure what this says about the future.

Name of the day: Jeffery.

Breakdown and meaning:

This name has both English and German origins. Derived from the German Geoffrey, the name means either “journey of peace” or “pledge of peace”. The English derivative is similar with a meaning of “gift of peace”.

It’s too bad the character in my book didn’t pay more attention to the meaning of his name. Jeffery, in Eternal Curse, isn’t a villain, but he’s not a good guy either. He starts out as an agent of peace, but later become a pain in the…

Well, that’s it for Day 15. See you tomorrow.

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Go back to the beginning to see all the posts in this series.

Outside of my own personal search throughout the years, basic meanings and definitions of the terms used here can be found at the following websites:http://www.meaning-of-names.com/, Google search http://en.wikipedia.org/, and http://dictionary.reference.com/.

Learn more here.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

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31days

Day 14- Function: What’s in a Name? #write31days 2014

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Term of the day: function: to operate or work; perform a set task.

Thoughts:

I love hearing tales of the past and how, in some cases, things used to be so simple. A man named John who worked as baker would have been called John the Baker, only to later drop the “the” and make Baker a proper surname. This was also the case with butchers, smithies, farmers, and more. To think that people could be given names based on their function in society today makes me laugh. I’m in no hurry to see new generations of John Clerk, Mary Typists, Joe Coffeemaker, or Jane Dogwalker. 😉

Name of the day: Whittleton.

Breakdown and meaning:

Whittleton the name of a family dynasty I created for my Eternal Curse Series and they are the founders of Whittletown. Whittle means “to shape or form by cutting or trim with a blade”. I used my knowledge and love for names based on function to derive a somewhat clever story about a family of wood carvers. In a pivotal transition of my Eternal Curse story, my readers get to take a quick tangent through history to learn of the rise and fall of this family. Incidentally, Whittletown is where my characters Giovanni and Abraham live.

Well, that’s it for Day 14. See you tomorrow.

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Go back to the beginning to see all the posts in this series.

Outside of my own personal search throughout the years, basic meanings and definitions of the terms used here can be found at the following websites:http://www.meaning-of-names.com/, Google search http://en.wikipedia.org/, and http://dictionary.reference.com/.

Learn more here.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

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31days

Day 13- Meaning: What’s in a Name? #write31days 2014

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Term of the day: meaning: significance, actuality, to be what is intended.

Thoughts:

I get the feeling that most people don’t spend too much time considering the meaning of the words they use on a daily basis and also may not consider the meaning of names. I’m sure thought is gone into the process of naming someone, but I wonder how often do parents consider the meaning as opposed to just the sound, spelling, and or popularity of the name.

There are many cases in history and an almost infinity number of references in religion, mythology, fairy tales, and folklore when it comes to there being power in the name of something or someone. I’ve always liked the idea that knowing the true name of something was important, but also felt that to know the meaning of the name would be so much more.

Consider the story and the name Rumpelstiltskin. Simply figuring out his name was enough to break his spell/contract, but what if there had been a twist using the meaning of his name? What if knowing the meaning of  his name could make it so that he would have to spin for the girl whenever she needed him to, as is typical fairytale lore. Even better, what if by knowing the meaning of his name, the girl was able to break her own contract and one he’d been bound to. Perhaps the meaning of his name could free him from having to serve others and grant him a child of this own…I could go on and on.

Name of the day: Marcos.

Breakdown and meaning:

The Marcos is derived from Marcus or Mars. With Spanish and Portuguese origins, stemming from Roman influences, all these variants mean either “god of war”, “god of fertility”, or “both”. Since origin stories and lore are can be different it’s difficult to pin down an exact meaning for this name. Seeing as how, in my Eternal Curse Series, Marcos is a villain, I tend to think of him more in terms of war. However, I can’t wait to explore the duel meanings of this name down the road. Image the tale I could with a character that at one point gives life and then later takes it away.

Well, that’s it for Day 13. See you tomorrow.

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Go back to the beginning to see all the posts in this series.

Outside of my own personal search throughout the years, basic meanings and definitions of the terms used here can be found at the following websites:http://www.meaning-of-names.com/, Google search http://en.wikipedia.org/, and http://dictionary.reference.com/.

Learn more here.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords