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From: Brown Thomas CONT COCA <>
Subject: Philology
Date: Wed, 2 Aug 2000 09:23:44 -0700

I had a class in college where the instructor was reading out of an old text
and said that a particular phrase should be re-examined in the light of
philology. I didn't know what the word meant at the time. He explained
that it was the study of how words or phrases in a language will change as
time moves on.

Kirk - if I am correct this means church so that towns with this (e.g.
Kirkudbright, Ormskirk, etc) was focussed on the church.

Mac - was a form of patronymics meaning 'the son of' hence MacDonald would
be Donald's son (same as Mc- and O'- prefix and -son suffix).

Fitz - similar to Mac but indicated the child was illigitimate.(In Spanish
they refer to children on birth certificates as either 'legitimate' or as
'natural').

This message is not intended to create strings of off topic/genealogy
replies; rather to encourage listers to share other language nuances that
may spark new avenues of family history research.


Tom Brown

This thread:

• Philology by Brown Thomas CONT COCA <>