In 2014 I featured a series of blog posts introducing you to 2,014 names. For the most part they were names that were brand new to me as well. Some names may be more familiar but I found the meaning or origin or some other aspect of the name made it worthy of inclusion here. You may love some of the names, you may hate some, but hopefully you enjoy learning about all of them.

Saturday, August 29, 2015

End of August Names

GIRLS


Grilla

Panther

Orthitha

Zerilda




BOYS


Bounds

Coward

Daville

Talmadge

Yelvington

Genesis 1

I have a goal to memorize as much of the Bible (old and new) as possible, along with understanding it all and knowing in which part each thing takes place, where to find this thing or that. I saw that movie The Book of Eli and just LOVED that part of the movie. That he carried that book with him til his death and short of taking away parts of his brain, nothing anyone did could take the book completely from him.

I suppose I also love that in that book Fahrenheit 451 all those people have each memorized an entire book. (someone ready to memorize War and Peace??)

To that end I've begun with the first chapter of every book. I've focused most on Genesis 1 and can now say the first 14 verses flawlessly and the 15th verse with a little less certainty (but nearly flawless now). I'm ready for verse 16, or, I've started on it. So you know, if you want to know when the 'greater' and 'lesser' lights are made to rule Day and Night, it's verse 16.

I also like knowing how to compare each verse of scripture to a matching one elsewhere in the Bible. What's the point of knowing the words without them having some use? I mean, other than it's pretty. I can do better with the first and fourth verses of each book than I can with the 16th, as I have not made it that far in any of the other books. I'm almost as far in Exodus as I am in Genesis. It helps that so far each of these verses have been short. I don't know what I shall do when I get to Isaiah and after the Gospels in the New Testament. Wondering how long that will take me! I will enjoy updating you all on my progress.

Oh, this is the King James Version of the Bible. The prettiest, to my knowledge. But wouldn't it be fabulous to know at least key parts of the Bible by heart in other versions (wording)? Or perhaps, just to be able to say it in Hebrew or something (I don't know Hebrew so I suppose that's something for my old age, if I'm blessed to still be able to memorize when I am old).

By the way, this puts me halfway through memorizing Genesis chapter 1 as there are 31 verses. Once chapter 1 is down pat I will be working on all those other  chapter 1s of the Bible before moving on to chapter 2. So, if you want to take this challenge then you could do all of Genesis, easily, before I make it back to chapter 2.

No people, no animals or fishies or birds or buzzing things yet. But seas and land and grass and fruit and herbs and seeds. And the firmament, of course, the waters above the firmament. Earth and Sky, Day and Night. Seasons, days, years. Signs (so, comets? supernovas? aurora borealises? what else?)

Were we all to gather to recite the books we have memorized in full one day, it could be San Franciscco (ideally, Alcatraz) as in the movie The Book of Eli. Or as in Fahrenheit 451 we could meet under a bridge or in a clearing or abandoned railroad yard (I forget exactly where it is that they convene). Or, if we went Old Testament, we could meet on Mt. Sinai or in Jerusalem or the pyramids of Egypt.

New Testament style we could go to the edge of the Sea of Galilee, or Bethlehem, to Samarkand (where I imagine the Wise men meeting up before going on to see the baby Jesus). Not Rome. I just think of lions ripping 9 year olds and 90 year olds apart while someone eats the olive and drinks and laughs up in the seats of the Coliseum.

Let me know if you decide to do this challenge in some form (or if you've already done this) and share your progress along with mine, if you'd like!

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

New Names, in Spanish, Please

I came across these Spanish names while doing background checks for my work. They were new to me, though I'm sure they've been around a while. I think there are a few that are not Spanish, but I'm not really sure what language they are.

GIRLS


Jaquea

Toris

Verenice - I'm sure this is just an alternate spelling of Berenice, since the B and V are said the same in Spanish. But I have met Spanish speakers who use the English pronunciation of a letter, such as saying the J in Jasmine, instead of pronouncing it more like 'Yas meen'. It's so gorgeous like this - Verenice. Pronounced 'bear eh nee say'. It's even still nice if said in English, pronouncing the v as a v. 'ver niece'.




BOYS


Celso - the Spanish version of Celsius. It's just so odd to run into a modern person named Celso

Efren - I have probably encountered this before, but I am more accustomed to Efrain (eh fry een) than 'eh fren'

Maurilio - this would be said 'mao real ee oh'

Monday, August 24, 2015

What Wondrous Names Abound!

GIRLS


Avice

Mentha



BOYS


Alas

Latteny

Parnell

Zealy

Window


Window in my grandmother's old farmhouse. No one lives there now. The reflection is so beautiful.

Sunday, August 23, 2015

No Need to Squint, those ARE new names you see!

Well, new to me, anyhow. Somewhat old, in fact. I came across these in genealogy research tonight (Maryland in the first days of the Republic).



Girls


Lethea -  there was an Alethea a few lines before this, so I'm guessing that Lethea was either her nickname or someone else was called this, either for a nickname or as a given name. Alethea, a Greek name, is not new to me. Lethea is though.

Levisa -  I think it is probably just a phonetic spelling of Louisa, but as said by a German speaker.

Rhodoe - I think it's Rhoda, but still need to look and see if this might be something else.

Taris



Boys


Baston - No, not Bastian, but just Baston.

Tylas

Friday, August 7, 2015