'Tis a New Year and With it We Should Begin Anew

2 years ago I introduced you to 2014 names over the course of a year, names which were unknown to me previously, fairly rare or unusual, or which I thought warranted introducing to you. This year I will be featuring various things related to names. Since we begin the year in January, why not begin with Jan? Which can be a nickname for longer names such as Janet, Janice, or Janelle, or, said more like 'yawn' it is a Scandinavian boy's name.

The Sea Storm by Jan Brueghel the Elder

Coastal landscape by Jan Brueghel the Younger

A pair of Dutch painters, Jan Brueghel (the Elder and the Younger)

Jan Brady... one of the first things I picture when I hear this name

Kimberly Jan Dickens,one of the actresses in the t.v. show Fear the Walking Dead

Oh Good Golly Have I Got Some Unheard of Names Today!

GIRLS

Abenena -

Achsah -

Elmira - variant (according to behindthename.com) of Almira and a shortened form of the Spanish Edelmira, which is the feminine variant of Adelmar, which is derived from the Germanic roots 'adal' meaning 'noble' and 'meri' meaning 'famous'. In English this would be said 'ell my ruh' but in Spanish it is 'el mee ruh'. Adelmar would have been brought to Spain by the Visigothic invaders.

Gratia - Not sure if I've featured this name before. It's not wholly new or unknown to me. But to encounter it outside of ancient Rome rather is. Still not the most recent use, I discovered it as a descendant of an American soldier who fought in the War of 1812. What do they call this war in Britain, I wonder? Gratia come from Latin

Lucene-

Savilla -

Sury -

Urania - Greek

Vira - I found this as the name of a granddaughter of a woman named Elvira, so it would seem to be a nickname for that. Elvira, according to babynamespedia.com, is a Gothic name derived from the elements:

" al meaning 'all' ; ali 'foreign, other' ; gail 'lively' ; wers 'true'. An old form of the name is Geloyra (Gothic). The name is of obscure Visigothic origin; it could be from the first element al, ali (meaning 'foreign, other') or gail, combined with the second element 'wer'; with al the name is taken to mean 'true to all'. The name has been used by Spanish speakers since the Middle Ages, but English speakers first took it up only in the 19th century.

Willimena - a spelling of Wilhelmina I had not seen before.




BOYS

Abial -

Warham

Day-After-Christmas List of Less-than-Common Names

GIRLS


Corinthia-

Ebeline - 

Eneida - 

Kneila - 

Lovisa - 

Luetta -

Pennille -

Philathes -

Violice - 




BOYS


Constant - 

Elbridge -

Lefford -

Stimpson -

Zephub - 

Style

Love the lettering style for the title page of this book.

Exodus 1 Exited

I now have memorized completely the first chapter of Exodus. Quite a moving scene to end with. If a movie ended this way you'd be able to count on a sequel. The last sentence, as spoken by Pharaoh to 'all his people':

Every son that is born shall ye cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.

I'm working on Leviticus now (and of course, continuing to practice Genesis 1 and Exodus 1). They've killed the bullock and built a fire. There are 17 verses and I have memorized 6 and am working on the 7th (where they build the fire).

I've managed to learn the names of every book of the Bible in order (that was a feat in itself). I'm working on knowing the first word of each book now. I've about got the New Testament on that order. Even a few first verses. The Old Testament is a bit more of a challenge that way.

Numbers is moving on at a snail's pace. I have memorized the first 5. Verses 6 through 15 list the names of the men that God said would stand with Moses from every tribe. I've got the tribe of Reuben in verse 5 (Elizur the son of Shedeur. No, I do not know how to say Shedeur.)

Deuteronomy has moved on a bit better. Maybe as more is happening there.

Best friends. I miss mine.

Wouldn't you agree?