Mail to the Chief (regarding a small matter of onomastics)
Posted for your perusal for those that know me (none of you).
To: Mum
From: Charlie
Subj: the genesis of the chunns
Hey Mum,
Further to our conversation at luncheon, viz:
Apparently, the name Chunn is of Cornish origin. The name means "house on the down/moor" from chi/chy "house" and woen/woon "down/moor/marsh/croft". Its variants include Chown and Chowing.
The Cornish language is of the Indo-European family (like most languages in Europe including English), specifically part of the Celtic branch (closely related to Welsh and Breton and more loosely to Irish, Manx and Scots Gaelic).
Although I haven't been able to identify any Indo-European cognates for the second part of the name, the chi part originates from a presumed Indo-European ancestor ((s)teg- meaning "to cover") that include several descendant words in other languages you might be familiar with:
In Latin: toga (the famous Roman garment).
In Sanskrit: sthaga (where we get the word "thug" meaning someone who is fraudulent, someone who conceals).
In English: thatch (for covering the roof).
In Greek: stegos (meaning "roof" as in Stegosaurus "roofed/plated lizard").
Could you forward this e-mail to your parents, your siblings and Alice as I think I've probably cracked the Chunn code with this shattering new research of mine. ;)
Most of all, I thought it might comfort Jerry in his old age to learn that his forefathers could well have been Cornish knights in the service of King Arthur at Tintagel Castle, desperately trying to keep Roman civilisation alive in the Dark Ages whilst holding back the barbarian hordes. Or they could have been cattle thieves from Truro.
To: Charlie
From: Andy A
Subj: Re: the genesis of the chunns
Cesare,
A fine piece of etymological detection. However you ignore or delicately skirt the obvious Sino question. I don't think I'm the first, and nor shall I be the last, to notice the latent oriental features that occur within the Chunn family. If I mention the distinctive narrow eyes (not to mention the inscrutable character), it's not to enter into the trap of racial stereotyping. These are merely neutral observations of salient characteristics. Similarly, were it not for the cultural favouring of patrilineal nomination, you would be called Charlie Chunn - now, come on, I ask you, does that sound like someone originating from Bodmin rather than Beijing? All I'm saying is that taking the evidence all together there is enough to suggest that while your research has taken you to the west, it could be that you are looking in the wrong direction. As the old Chinese proverb goes, "When you have only two pennies left in the world, buy a loaf of bread with one, and a lily with the other". What does that mean? I don't know. I'm not Chinese.
Huitójian,
A
Over to you, readers.
Incidentally, I'm now on Twitter. Won't you be my friend?
https://twitter.com/the_amalekite
I'm going for a trifecta in late arrivals to the Next Big Thing, following on from LJ and Facebook. I've thus far kept my uni/online friends and my job/school friends in severe segregation but I might merge the two in this new venture. If I have any friends left at this point. Posting is such sweet sorrow.
To: Mum
From: Charlie
Subj: the genesis of the chunns
Hey Mum,
Further to our conversation at luncheon, viz:
Apparently, the name Chunn is of Cornish origin. The name means "house on the down/moor" from chi/chy "house" and woen/woon "down/moor/marsh/croft". Its variants include Chown and Chowing.
The Cornish language is of the Indo-European family (like most languages in Europe including English), specifically part of the Celtic branch (closely related to Welsh and Breton and more loosely to Irish, Manx and Scots Gaelic).
Although I haven't been able to identify any Indo-European cognates for the second part of the name, the chi part originates from a presumed Indo-European ancestor ((s)teg- meaning "to cover") that include several descendant words in other languages you might be familiar with:
In Latin: toga (the famous Roman garment).
In Sanskrit: sthaga (where we get the word "thug" meaning someone who is fraudulent, someone who conceals).
In English: thatch (for covering the roof).
In Greek: stegos (meaning "roof" as in Stegosaurus "roofed/plated lizard").
Could you forward this e-mail to your parents, your siblings and Alice as I think I've probably cracked the Chunn code with this shattering new research of mine. ;)
Most of all, I thought it might comfort Jerry in his old age to learn that his forefathers could well have been Cornish knights in the service of King Arthur at Tintagel Castle, desperately trying to keep Roman civilisation alive in the Dark Ages whilst holding back the barbarian hordes. Or they could have been cattle thieves from Truro.
To: Charlie
From: Andy A
Subj: Re: the genesis of the chunns
Cesare,
A fine piece of etymological detection. However you ignore or delicately skirt the obvious Sino question. I don't think I'm the first, and nor shall I be the last, to notice the latent oriental features that occur within the Chunn family. If I mention the distinctive narrow eyes (not to mention the inscrutable character), it's not to enter into the trap of racial stereotyping. These are merely neutral observations of salient characteristics. Similarly, were it not for the cultural favouring of patrilineal nomination, you would be called Charlie Chunn - now, come on, I ask you, does that sound like someone originating from Bodmin rather than Beijing? All I'm saying is that taking the evidence all together there is enough to suggest that while your research has taken you to the west, it could be that you are looking in the wrong direction. As the old Chinese proverb goes, "When you have only two pennies left in the world, buy a loaf of bread with one, and a lily with the other". What does that mean? I don't know. I'm not Chinese.
Huitójian,
A
Over to you, readers.
Incidentally, I'm now on Twitter. Won't you be my friend?
https://twitter.com/the_amalekite
I'm going for a trifecta in late arrivals to the Next Big Thing, following on from LJ and Facebook. I've thus far kept my uni/online friends and my job/school friends in severe segregation but I might merge the two in this new venture. If I have any friends left at this point. Posting is such sweet sorrow.