NATLANG: Same name (was Re: Brithenig-heads)

> Date:         Mon, 10 Apr 2000 23:40:15 +0600
> From: Eric Christopherson <raccoon@...>
> I've been wondering for a few years where the various James/Jacob names
> came from and how they related to each other, especially in Spanish. I
> often see Diego cited as being equivalent to James, with nothing to support
> this. Is Diego related to (San)tiago, as it seems to be? (Also the
> Portuguese name Tiago) If so, my theory is this:
>
> Latin SANCTE IACOBE "Saint Jacob" (vocative) > Spanish Santi Yagüe* >
> Santiago; reanalyzed as San Tiago, thus the name Tiago. Dunno how exactly
> Diego could come from that, but it does look close...
For this name, Danish has Ib as well as Jacob/Jakob. Quite a way from
Italian Giaccomo, for instance.

I'm sure there was a long discussion of the derivation of Giaccomo, Jaime,
James, Diego and the others within the last couple of years, with
Greek, Hebrew and/or Aramaic forms adduced. And I don't think it was
on the IE list, so it must have been here.

Just for fun, some other pairs/triples of names in Danish:

      Johannes / Hans
      Mathias / Mads            (Latin Mathæus through Low Saxon, I guess)
      Laurits / Lasse / Lars    (Latin Laurentius, same route
      Helene / Helle / Lene                --- High German has Lorenz)
      Marianne / Maren
      Elisabeth / Lisbeth / Lis

Lars Mathiesen (U of Copenhagen CS Dep) <thorinn@...> (Humour NOT marked)