ean the same
thing; so that _Johnson_ and _MacDonald_ are not _derived_ but _compound_
words. This Greek way of expressing descent is peculiar, and the words
wherein it occurs are classed together by the peculiar name _patronymic_;
from _pataer_ = _a father_, and _onoma_ = _a name_.

Is there anything in English corresponding to the Greek patronymics?

Not in the _present_ English? There was, however, in the Anglo-Saxon.

In the Anglo-Saxon, the termination -ing is as truly patronymic as [Greek:
-ides] in Greek. In the Bible-translation the _son of Elisha_ is called
_Elising_. In the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle occur such genealogies as the
following:--_Ida waes Eopping_, _Eoppa Esing_, _Esa Inging_, _Inga
Angenviting_, _Angenvit Alocing_, _Aloc Beonocing_, _Beonoc Branding_,
_Brand Baeldaeging_, _Baeldaeg V['o]dening_, _V['o]den Fridhowulfing_,
_Fridhowulf Finning_, _Finn Godwulfing_, _Godwulf Geating_ = Ida was the
son of Eoppa, Eoppa of Esa, Esa of Inga, Inga of Angenvit, Angenvit of
Aloc, Aloc of Beonoc, Beonoc of Brand, Brand of Baeldaeg, Baeldaeg of
Woden, Woden of Fridhowulf, Fridhowulf of Finn, Finn of Godwulf, Godwulf of
Geat.--In Greek, [Greek: Ida en Eoppeides, Eoppa Eseides, Esa Ingeides,
Inga Angenphiteides], &c. In the plural number these forms denote the _race
of_; as _Scyldingas_ = _the Scyldings_, or the race of _Scyld_, &c. Edgar
Atheling means Edgar of the race of the nobles.

* * * * *

CHAPTER XVI.

GENTILE FORMS.

s. 273. The only word in the present English that requires explanation is
the name of the principality _Wales_.

1. The form is _plural_, however much the meaning may be _singular_; so
that the -s in _Wale-s_ is the -s in _fathers_, &c.

2. It has grown out of the Anglo-Saxon from _wealhas_ = _foreigners_, from
_wealh_ = _a foreigner_, the name by which the Welsh are spoken of by the
Germans of England, just as the Italians are called Welsh by the Germans of
Germany; and just as _wal-nuts_ = _foreign nuts_, or _nuces Galliae_.
_Welsh_ = _weall-isc_ = _foreign_, and is a derived adjective.

3. The transfer of the name of the _people_ inhabiting a certain country to
the _country_ so inhabited, was one of the commonest processes in both
Anglo-Saxon and Old English.

* * * * *

CHAPTER XVII.

ON THE CONNEXION BETWEEN THE NOUN AND VERB, AND ON THE INFLECTION OF THE
INFINITIVE MOOD.

s. 274. In order to understand clea