From: Patrick Ryan
Message: 42062
Date: 2005-11-11
----- Original Message -----
From: "ehlsmith" <ehlsmith@...>
To: <cybalist@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Friday, November 11, 2005 3:50 PM
Subject: [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?
>
<snip>
> 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
***
Patrick:
I am not so sure. When these names originated, they (hopefully) made
justifiable characterizations. Both ability and character are, to some
extent, inheritable. No one doubts today, for example, that alcoholism and
schizophrenia are inheritable. Thousands of people have adopted babies with
unknown antecedents in this country, and found, to their great chagrin, that
excellent home surroundings cannot overcome poor heredity.
If I meet someone named Rubin, is it not likely that he descends from a
family of jewelers?
Patrick