--- In
cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Brian M. Scott" <BMScott@...> wrote:
>
> At 6:08:33 PM on Saturday, August 22, 2009, Joao S. Lopes
> wrote:
>
> > MOnica is Greco-Latin, the name of St Augustin's mother.
>
> It is the name of Augustine's mother, and it reached English
> via Greco-Latin, but we don't know its actual origin.
****
I know I've read in the past that names like Monica, Nonica etc. are common on ancient North African (presumably Berber) tombstones.
Saint Monica is generally considered Berber --I don't know if this is just inference or whether there is a definite statement in her son's autobiography or elsewhere.
For what it's worth, www.spock.com/Monica-of-Hippo (and other sites) state:
"Saint Monica was of Berber descent (Monica was a Berber name derived from the Libyan deity Mon worshipped in the neighbouring town of Thibilis)". It refers this to Wikipedia, but the current English Wikipedia article merely stares she was Berber, with references to books I can't follow.
Dan