> R A Brown <ray@...> wrote:
> But we also have αλεκτοÏÎ¹Î´ÎµÏ (chick) and αλω
> Ï€ÎµÎºÎ¹Î´ÎµÏ (fox-cub), correctly derived from ancient forms, but
> formed with the suffix -Î¹Î´ÎµÏ (the 'ancestor' of Esperanto's
> -id-) which is normally used as a patronymic (rather like 'mac-' in
> Gaelic names, or -son in English surnames); it is rather as though
> we were to say in English 'Cockson' (or in US English 'Roosterson')
> and 'Foxson'!
Apropos of patronymics, a friend asked me the etymology of the Greek
suffix -opoulos on names. I assumed it was a patronymic suffix. Does
anyone know better?
Charlie