Uncovering the Mystery of Family Names
Where do English family names come from?
Go to America, and you're certain to find people with the last names Smith, Johnson, Williams, Jones and Brown. That's because these surnames are the five most common in the nation. Over 300 million people living in America today use around 152,000 last names. And while some of these names are common and others are unique, all of them have a story to tell.
Surnames begin to surface
Throughout much of history, surnames were not considered necessary. For thousands of years, people only used first, or given, names.
The world was less populated, and because everyone knew their neighbors, one title of address was enough. When two people living in the same area shared the same first name, a simple solution was developed. A second name was adopted to distinguish one individual from the other, but these names were seldom passed on. When the French conquered England in 1066, they brought the practice of using surnames with them. This practice slowly became popular, and by 1400, most people were using surnames they inherited from their families.
sur- 在...之上
surname n. 姓氏
=> 也可以稱作last name
=> formal way to say family name or last name
eg: I thought John was French because his surname is Dupont.
=> 我原以以認John是法國人，因為他的姓氏是杜邦。
eg: Don't forget to write down your surname on your test.
=> 考試卷上別忘了寫下你的姓。
distinguish v. 分識/區別
=> show how two things are similar, show how they are different
distinquish from/between 分辨...
eg: It's hard to distinguish Sean from his twin brother Simon. They look exactly alike.
=> 要分辨Sean與他的雙胞胎弟弟Simon很困難。他們看起來完全一樣。
pass on 傳承/傳遞下去
=> given to the next person
eg: Kevin's family's beautiful antique ring was passed on to me when we got engaged.
=> Kevin家族中這指美麗的傳家古董戒指，在我們訂婚的時候傳給了我。
eg: Please make sure this message gets passed on to your supervisor.
=> 請確定這個口訊有傳達給你的老板。
given name
= first name
first name, family name, middle name ,last(surname) name
The world was less populated
= The world was less full of people
unique adj. 唯一的/獨一無二的/獨特的
populated v. 居住於
inherit v. 繼承(傳統/遺產等)
//== Chat room ==//
address n. 地址
=> 重音在前面
eg: What's your address(重音在前面)? (美)
eg: What's your address(重音在後面)? (英)
=> 你的地址在哪裡
address n. 對人的稱呼/演說/致詞
=> 重音在後面
=> what you call someone
eg: One title of address was enough.
=> 一個頭銜當作稱呼就夠了。
//== More Information ==//
When Europeans began immigrating to America, their surnames often took on different spellings and pronunciations. After reaching their new home millions of immigrants volunteered to have their amily names changed so that they would be easier for others to pronounce. Many immigrants found it easier to adjust to American culture with American-sounding names. So they gladly took or their new names.
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