[tied] Re: Also an Austro-Asiatic Disconnect

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Patrick Ryan" <proto-language@...>
wrote:

>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "ehlsmith" <ehlsmith@...>
> To: <cybalist@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Friday, November 11, 2005 2:42 PM
> Subject: [tied] Re: Also an Austro-Asiatic Disconnect
>
>
> > --- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Patrick Ryan" <proto-

language@...>

> > wrote:

..............

> But seriously, if you meet a Hohenstaufen (even without the von),

would you

> not suspect nobility?

Certainly, but not because of any intrinsic "meaning" attached to the
name, but because of the historic accident that it was the name of a
German dynasty- as I said a surname can provide information about who
one's paternal line ancestors were.

But just because some people bear the names Kaiser or Koenig doesn't
mean I assume they are of imperial or royal ancestry in their
paternal lines, nor that they are regal or imperial in character.
Neither would I assume a current-day von Hohenstaufen had necessarily
ever been to the castle of Staufen, much less lived there.

So, yes of course I believe surnames can provide information about
who one's ancestors were, but what the particular etymology of that
surname was does not reveal anything about the character of present-
day individuals bearing the name.

Regards,
Ned Smith