[Lexicog] names as characteristic of a category

Sat Mar 24 13:25:25 UTC 2007

Hayim,

Thanks for the examples from the Bible. Sorry to say, but for me none of
those persons made it to become a category.

All of them have positive outstanding personality traits  but also
weaknesses like David and Solomon. I would not say "he is a Solomon", but
"he made a solomonic decision". I might say "he has faith like Elijah" but
the same prophet showed weaknesses in the biblical account. That is what I
like about the Bible, the realism.

Names that become characteristic of a category are often caricatures of
persons created by writers, like those who you mentioned from Russian
literature.  I can think of Scrooge from English literature.

Of historical figures sometimes an adjective is formed like macchiavellian,
napoleonic.

Greetings, Fritz

Fritz,

As specialist in biblical translations you must be aware on many biblical
names
that made such categories:

Solomon - wise man
David - wise king
Jonathan - good friend
Ruth - true proselite
Esther - beautiful patriot
Elija - maker miracles

Also couple of names from the New Testament (I do not touch divinities)
Like Mary of Magdala (Magdalene), Lazar, good Samaritan, etc.

Hayim

Fritz Goerling <Fritz_Goerling at sil.org> wrote:

Hayim,

I appreciate your contributions which are always enriching. Let me comment
on a few of your examples below.

Beracha,

Fritz

Fritz,

I think, Hercules  is good example, at least  in  English and Russian, I do
not know  if  he is  proverbial  in other languages.  

     Also in German.

I understand your suggestion  of Penelope (she is all what you said indeed),
but  it seems that she didn't rise to the level of Xanthippe or Hercules in
popular usage.

    Good point if you make that distinction. That is what I am after:
examples of where you can say "he/she is a X".

    One can say in that case a name "has made it," also into the dictionary.
Taking Penelope's husband Ulysses (Odysseus)

    as another example of your point. I don't think he has quite made it
either. Although famous I don't think one would hear "he is a 

   Ulysses", rather "he is wily as U./ he is a fox like Ulysses."

There is a parallel to Hercules - Gargantua (maybe it is Gargantois?) from
G. et Panagruel by Rables, also Martin Eaden from Jack London's book and
maybe several characters of Moliere

   Like Tartuffe.

, John Falstaff and Shylock of Shakespeare.
In Russian language there are several proverbial names taken from the works
of Fonvizin (von Wizin), Griboedov, Gogol, Saltykov-Stchedrin and Chekhov.
(Prostakova [stupid, ignorant lady], Svinyin, [idiot squire] Scalozub
[epidemy of conservatism and cretinism], Manilov [fruitless dreamer],
Nozdryov [opposite to comme il faut], Sabakevich [owner of manor of heavy
type, likes! big and strong things and suspects that everybody deceives
him], Korobochka (resourceful mistress of the house), Derzhimorda, Unter
Prishibeev(tipes of brute policeman) Each of these name describe a large
negative category of people. 

   Has Raskolnikow made it? Or Myshkin (a lovable character) from
Dostoyesky's "The Idiot"?

Also from the time of sentimentalism one of characters of a novelette by
Karamzin (Poor Liza) describe a category of abandoned brides.
There is entire gallery of characters in Russian literature of the 19th
cent. that
illustrates the idea of "unnessessary people." They are people who received
good education, had all opportunity of employment or independent creative
work, but on different reasons do not contribute anything. One of this
characters Oblomov is a proverbial figure for "far niente"(Ital.). The
person lays on the coach and does nothing. (This is not depression).
Don Juan (philander), 

    Widely known in other languages, like Casanova.

Salieri (sounds bad in Russian, as enemy of the genius and bad composer)

    Too bad that this guy's name made it.

. Paganini is proverbial for violin virtuoso. Savonarola, Macchiavelli! are
also describing categories. Jesuite in Russian describe  a negative  type of
person  (not necessary  connected to religion) 
There is a name for the critic who criticizes harshly any work of art and
literature whatever its merits (Zoil, probably taken from Greek culture),
Herodot is a proverbial historian, Cicero is a proverbial orator, Caesar is
a type of person that can perform several acts contemporaneously

   I heard this said of Napoleon.

. In American English name MacKey describes probably a strong and decisive
macho type. There is expression, "he is real MacKey"(I am not sure in
spelling, this could be McKay)

   I'd be interested in knowing where this comes from.

Of course there are much more such names, but it is enough for one email
message. The title or profession "doctor" (one who knows everything).  

   Maybe we leave those examples out for another thread.

In Israel there is a name for one who changed his political party. I forgot
his name (it seems to me, Korodo), but this was the first time when it
occurred in the country. This Korodo wasn't important politician. But when
Moshe Dayyan did
the same, everybody cited the case of Korodo as the type. They even invented
term  Korodism for this type of behavior. 

Hayim Sheynin

Fritz Goerling <Fritz_Goerling at sil.org> wrote:

Hayim,

How about a Penelope figure, a faithful wife who waits patiently for! her
husband to return? On the male side: someone is a Hercules. 

Fritz

Hayim Sheynin asked: 

What other names of wives of famous men can be a characteristic of a
category?

Hayim

Fritz Goerling <Fritz_Goerling at sil.org> wrote:

In some languages the names of wives of famous men have entered the language

to characterize a certain kind of woman: like Xanthippe (Socrates'wife) is
used in English and German.

Fritz

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