Proper Names That Have Become Lexical Words - Essay Example

Proper s That Have Become Lexical Words: An Essay There are many common s that have become a part of the English lexicon through simply having been used either as slang or as common parlance. All of them have some sort of explanation as to why they have become part of the lexicon although being a proper name. These names will be separated into three categories: girls' names which have been adopted into the lexicon; boys' names which have been adopted into the lexicon; and surnames or first and last names which have been adopted into the lexicon. The first name, Jenny, is an American name, which is "[o]riginally a diminutive of Jane. Since the middle of the 20th century it has been primarily thought of as a diminutive of Jennifer."1 Jane is the "Medieval English form of Jehanne, an Old French feminine form of Iohannes...This became the most common feminine form of John in the 17th century, surpassing Joan. Famous bearers include the un- crowned English queen Lady Jane Grey (1536-1554), who ruled for only 9 days, the British novelist Jane Austen (1775-1817), who wrote 'Sense and Sensibility' and 'Pride and Prejudice', and the British primatologist Jane Goodall (1934-). This was also the name of the central character in Charlotte Bronte's novel 'Jane Eyre' (1847)."2 This name has many forms, and as such has many meanings within the English lexicon. A jenny is defined, by Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary, as either one of three things, the first two being derived from 1600 from the name Jenny: 1) a female bird, as in a jenny wren; 2) a female donkey; or 3) a spinning jenny, "an early multiple-spindle machine for spinning wool or cotton" (ca. 1783, derived from Jenny, a nickname for Jane).3 Jen is, in Chinese philosophy, "a compassionate love for humanity or for the world as a whole."4 There are multiple dictionary entries, however, for the word jane, which is based on the namesake Jane. One dictionary says that jane is slang for "a girl or a woman."5 The Free Dictionary claims that the word jane is a "coin of Genoa" or "any small coin"; also, a jane could be a "kind of twilled cotton cloth."6 There are other variations on the name Jane and usages of the name Jane. The name Jane Doe has become a part of the English lexicon in order to describe "an average or ordinary woman" or it can be "[u]sed as a name in legal proceedings to designate an unknown or unidentified woman or girl."7 Jane Doe was just a generic name, but it has taken a very popular turn in recent times, becoming part of the vocabulary of the general public. Mary Jane is slang for marijuana.8 Supposedly that name is associated with marijuana because you have Mary associated with mari- and Jane associated with -juana. That's understandable. Also adopted into the English lexicon by way of the name Jane is the term plain-Jane, which means "[l]acking adornment or pretension; basic or simple."9 The name Jean is also commonly used, which is feminine, and "Medieval English variant of JehanneIt was common in England and Scotland during the Middle Ages, but eventually became rare in England. It was reintroduced to the English-speaking world from Scotland in the 19th century."10 The word jean, of course, has been introduced into the English lexicon, and has two meanings, according to the Free Dictionary. A jean can be either a "heavy, strong, twilled cotton, used in making uniforms and work clothes" or plural jeans, "[p]ants made of jean, denim, or another durable fabric."11 Secondly, what will be discussed is boys' names, or masculine names, which have been adapted into the lexicon. First we will begin by analyzing the name Peter. The name Peter is "[d]erived from the Greek (Petros) meaning 'stone'. This is a translation used in most versions of the New Testament of the name Cephas, meaning 'stone' in Aramaic, which was given to the apostle Simon by Jesus (compare Matthew 16:18 and John 1:42). Simon Peter was the most prominent of the apostles during Jesus's ministry and is often considered the first pope. Due to the renown of the apostle, this name became common throughout the Christian world (in various spellings). In England the Normans introduced it in the Old French form Piers, which was gradually replaced by the spelling Peter starting in the 15th century. Besides the apostle, other saints by this name include the 11th-century reformer Saint Peter Damian and the 13th-century preacher Saint Peter Martyr. It was also borne by rulers of Aragon, Portugal, and Russia, including the Russian tsar Peter the Great (1672-1725), who defeated Sweden in the Great Northern War. Famous fictional bearers include Peter Rabbit from Beatrix Potter's children's books, and Peter Pan, the boy who refused to grow up in J. M. Barrie's 1904 play."12 Not only is the word peter vulgar slang for the word "penis," but it also is used in the manner "peter out," in order to mean "to diminish slowly and come to an end; dwindle" or "to become exhausted."13 Another male name variation we will now look at is John. The name John is the "English form of Iohannes, the Latin form of the Greek name (Ioannes), itself derived from the Hebrew name (Yochanan) meaning 'YAHWEH is gracious'. This name owes its popularity to two New Testament characters, both highly revered saints. The first was John the Baptist, a Jewish ascetic who was considered the forerunner of Jesus Christ. The second was the apostle John, who was also supposedly the author of the fourth Gospel and Revelation. This name was initially more common among Eastern Christians in the Byzantine Empire, but it flourished in Western Europe after the First Crusade. In England it became extremely popular: during the later Middle Ages it was given to approximately a fifth of all English boys. The name (in various spellings) has been borne by 21 popes and eight Byzantine emperors, as well as rulers of England, France, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Portugal, Bulgaria, Russia and Hungary. It was also borne by the poet John Milton (1608-1674), philosopher John Locke (1632-1704), American founding father and president John Adams (1735-1826), and poet John Keats (1795-1821). Famous bearers of the 20th century include author John Steinbeck (1902-1968), assassinated American president John F. Kennedy (1917-1963), and musician John Lennon (1940-1980)."14 John is also used for other purposes besides a person's name, however. A john is also slang for being referred to as "a toilet," and can also be another name for the "man who is a prostitute's customer."15 A johnny has two meanings. A johnny, in old-fashioned British English, means "a chap."16 A johnny also is a term for a "loose short-sleeved gown opening in the back, worn by patients undergoing medical treatment or examination."17 The phrase "Johnny on the spot" means "[s]omeone is ready and available at the time needed."18 The term appear[ed] in an article the New York Sun, April 1896--"JOHNNY ON THE SPOT--A New Phrase Which Has Become Popular in New York." The masculine name of Gene, is "the short form of Eugene."19 The name Eugene is the "English form of Eugenius, the Latin form of the Greek name (Eugenios) which was derived from the Greek word (eugenes) meaning "well born". It is composed of the elements "good, well" and (genes) "born". This was the name of several saints and four popes. This name was not particularly common in Western Europe during the Middle Ages. It became more popular in part due to the fame of Prince Eugene of Savoy (1663-1736), a French-born general who served the Austrian Empire. A notable bearer was the American playwright Eugene O'Neill (1888-1953)."20 Not is Gene a name, but a gene is also a word, which is a "hereditary unit consisting of a sequence of DNA that occupies a specific location on a chromosome and determines a particular characteristic in an organism. Genes undergo mutation when their DNA sequence changes."21 Let us examine yet another masculine name: Jimmy. Jimmy is a form of James, which is the "English form of the Late Latin name Iacomus which was derived from (Iakobos), the New Testament Greek form of the Hebrew name (Ya'aqov) (see JACOB). This was the name of two apostles in the New Testament. The first was Saint James the Greater, the apostle John's brother, who was beheaded under Herod Agrippa in the Book of Acts. The second was James the Lesser, son of Alphaeus. Another James (known as James the Just) is also mentioned in the Bible as being the brother of Jesus. Since the 13th century this form of the name has been used in England, though it became more common in Scotland, where it was borne by several kings. In the 16th century the Scottish king James VI inherited the English throne, becoming the first ruler of all Britain, and the name grew much more popular. Famous bearers include the explorer Captain James Cook (1728- 1779), the inventor of the steam engine James Watt (1736-1819), and the novelist and poet James Joyce (1882-1941). This name has also been borne by six American presidents. A notable fictional bearer is the British spy James Bond, created by author Ian Fleming."22 There are, as one can imagine, various forms of usage for the word jimmy in the English lexicon today. The verb jimmy means to "pry (something) open with or as if with a jimmy."23 The noun jimmy is a "short crowbar with curved ends."24 There is one term of Cockney rhyming slang which made its way into the 1937 Partridge's Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English, 'Jimmy Riddle'-late 19th century British slang for urination, or piddle.25 Several 'Jimmy' phrases were coined in the 19th century: Jimmy Grant (immigrant/emigrant); Jimmy Ducks (a sailor in charge of livestock onboard ship, similar coinage to that of a character working in the prison kitchens in the BBC comedy Porridge 'Luke Warm'; Jimmy Woods (someone who drinks alone); and Jimmy O'Goblin (a sovereign).26 Now we will move to names that are surnames or first and last names which have been adopted into the lexicon. First we should begin with the surname Jones. Jones, according to BehindTheName.Com, is "[d]erived from the given name Jon (John)."27 Supposedly, jones is another name for heroin, and a jones can also be a name for an addiction, especially to heroin.28 A jones is also defined as "an avid desire or appetite for something" or a "craving," or "to have a strong desire or craving for something."29 The final name we will analyze here is Jack Robinson. This name usually goes with the phrase, "Before you could say Jack Robinson," meaning, "in a very short time" or "suddenly."30 "The phrase appears to have been coined and [Francis Grose] believed that the derivation related to an actual person. Grose's 1811 edition of the Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue defines 'Jack Robinson' thus: 'Before one could say Jack Robinson; a saying to express a very short time, originating from a very volatile gentleman of that appellation, who would call on his neighbours, and be gone before his name could be announced.'"31 Several common names have been discussed at length which have come into the English lexicon, by and by, through various forms of usage, whether they be in phraseology or in regular speech. Girls' names have been adopted into the lexicon, which have been spoken of at length. However, masculine names are not also found in the lexicon. Finally, one surname and a whole name was found in the lexicon as well. REFERENCES Ask.Com Web Site. Retrieved 13 January 2009. http://www.ask.com/barq=phrases&page=1&qsrc=121&ab=0&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phrases.org.uk%2F Behind the Name Web Site. Retrieved 13 January 2009. http://www.behindthename.com/name/eugene. Behind the Name Web Site. Retrieved 13 January 2009. http://www.behindthename.com/name/gene. Behind the Name Web Site. Retrieved 13 January 2009. http://www.behindthename.com/name/james. Behind the Name Web Site. Retrieved 13 January 2009. http://www.behindthename.com/name/jane. Behind the Name Web Site. Retrieved 13 January 2009. http://www.behindthename.com/php/search.phpnmd=n&terms=Jean. Behind the Name Web Site. Retrieved 13 January 2009. http://www.behindthename.com/name/jenny. Behind the Name Web Site. Retrieved 13 January 2009. http://www.behindthename.com/name/john. Behind the Name Web Site. Retrieved 13 January 2009. http://www.behindthename.com/name/peter. Behind the Name Web Site. Retrieved 13 January 2009. http://surnames.behindthename.com/php/search.phptype=n&terms=Jones&submit=Go. Dictionary.Com Web Site. Retrieved 13 January 2009. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/jane. Dictionary.Com Web Site. Retrieved 13 January 2009. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/jen. The Free Dictionary Web Site. Retrieved 13 January 2009. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/gene. The Free Dictionary Web Site. Retrieved 13 January 2009. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/jane. The Free Dictionary Web Site. Retrieved 13 January 2009. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Jane+Doe The Free Dictionary Web Site. Retrieved 13 January 2009. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/jean REFERENCES The Free Dictionary Web Site. Retrieved 13 January 2009. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/jimmy. The Free Dictionary Web Site. Retrieved 13 January 2009. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/john. The Free Dictionary Web Site. Retrieved 13 January 2009. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/johnny. The Free Dictionary Web Site. Retrieved 13 January 2009. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/jones. The Free Dictionary Web Site. Retrieved 13 January 2009. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Mary+Jane. The Free Dictionary Web Site. Retrieved 13 January 2009. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/peter. Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved 13 January 2009. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jenny. Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved 13 January 2009. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jones. Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved 13 January 2009. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jones[2]. Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved 13 January 2009. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spinning+jenny. UK Phrases Web Site. Retrieved 13 January 2009. http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/jack-robinson.html. UK Phrases Web Site. Retrieved 13 January 2009. http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/211900.html. Read More