morgan

[KatyBr]

Mor·gan (môrgn)
n.
Any of a breed of American saddle and trotting horses noted for strength, speed, and endurance.



[After Justin Morgan (1747-1798), American schoolteacher.]

.

a Morgan, a very capable horse indeed, is the smallest of the workhorses, the largest being the clydesdales oc.


Katy

[Slava]

Once upon a time I met a young woman named Morgan. She was not horse-like at all. What does the name itself mean, and where did it come from?

[beck123]

Once upon a time I met a young woman named Morgan. She was not horse-like at all. What does the name itself mean, and where did it come from?

Very good questions, Slava. It's clearly an old given name, since we see the feminized form, "Morgana," in the Arthurian legend. It's uncommon today as a given name, but not unknown (the actor, Morgan Freeman, for example.) It's fairly common in English as a family name, which probably came after its use as a given name.

[beck123]

Another thought along different lines: This word was introduced in this forum as a patronym (the morgan horse is named for a person.) In the late 1800s, a line of U.S. coinage was introduced, designed by George Morgan and called "Morgan dollars." That's a pretty good record of patronyms for a relatively uncommon name.

[Slava]

Another thought along different lines: This word was introduced in this forum as a patronym (the morgan horse is named for a person.) In the late 1800s, a line of U.S. coinage was introduced, designed by George Morgan and called "Morgan dollars." That's a pretty good record of patronyms for a relatively uncommon name.

A patronym? Don't you mean eponym?

[beck123]

Maybe "patronym" has fallen out of favor because of its maleness. When a plant or animal is named after a person, the name is called a patronym. Maybe that doesn't carry over into general usage, but I'll check.

[Slava]

Maybe "patronym" has fallen out of favor because of its maleness. When a plant or animal is named after a person, the name is called a patronym. Maybe that doesn't carry over into general usage, but I'll check.

Aye, do that. Patronym is usually abused as a shortening of patronymic, the father's name included as part of the child's name. Eponym is the proper word to use for things named after a real person, as I understand it.

As in, the term Morgan horse is eponymous.

[beck123]

OK, I've checked, and you are correct. In general usage a patronym is restricted to family names that build on a parental name (Robertson, assuming the individual's father is Robert.)

In the specialized field of taxonomy, it is as I said. A patronym is a genus or species name that is derived from the name of a person whom the author wishes to honor. The butterfly, Strymon bartrami, for example, is named in honor of the early Florida naturalist, William Bartram.

[beck123]

Sheesh, and I didn't plan on learning anything today.

[Slava]

Sheesh, and I didn't plan on learning anything today.

Keep digging and you'll find that patronym is almost always converted to patronymic, even in Wikipedia, that font of infallible information.

My dictionaries do not have patronym listed. I guess they're "ic"y.

[beck123]

In biology, it's patronym, but I saw where "patronymic" is preferred for the general usage term. Patronymic is odd, because 1) there is an entire family of -nym words into which patronym fits nicely, and 2) patronymic is constructed as though it were an adjective, but used as a noun.

[skinem]

Once upon a time I met a young woman named Morgan. She was not horse-like at all. What does the name itself mean, and where did it come from?

It comes from Welsh mythology. It's the modern form of Morgen. It was used by Geoffrey of Monmouth in the 12th-century for the Arthurian sorceress Morgan le Fay, who was unnamed in earlier stories. Geoffrey probably did not derive it from the Welsh masculine name Morgan, which would have been spelled Morcant in his time. Speculation has been that Geoffrey may have gotten it from the Irish name Muirgen.

The name is usually thought to mean "the edge of the sea" or literally, sea (Mor) circle (cant), from Morcant.

As an old horse guy, I've had a couple of Morgans over the years...they are usually thought of as being tough little horses.

[LukeJavan8]

Once upon a time I met a young woman named Morgan. She was not horse-like at all. What does the name itself mean, and where did it come from?

Very good questions, Slava. It's clearly an old given name, since we see the feminized form, "Morgana," in the Arthurian legend. It's uncommon today as a given name, but not unknown (the actor, Morgan Freeman, for example.) It's fairly common in English as a family name, which probably came after its use as a given name.

The young actor Trevor Morgan being another. Here it is
used as a surname. I've had boys and one girl named
Morgan in some classes I've taught.