Wine Words: It’s All In The Name
posted by Scott in Snooth, Wine, Guest Bloggers
Let’s face it: names matter. They do. Sure, they are subject to fashion, but because words possess meaning, they carry a weight more permanent than the latest trend. It’s the reason that “Fart” isn’t a popular last name. Go ahead; check your phone book. Anyway, this “weight,” if you will, is a word’s denotation, its definition. As such names have semantic histories, or etymologies, just as any other words might. Philip, for instance, is derived from Greek and means “friend of horses.” I might be mistaken, but I don’t imagine that many parents have this meaning in mind when they name their child Philip. Still that doesn’t change the significance of the word.
Grapes have names, too, and with each its own story. Here are but a few:
And last, but not least, here’s a list of funny ones.
There are literally thousands of etymologies like these. Some are true and some are just fun to tell. Feel free to post your own or tell me your parents named you Philip because they really do love horses.
Scott Rosenbaum is director of operations for the International Wine Center and wine buyer for the retailer DrinkUpNY.
PJ, is this has to do something with you, or it is just coincidence? :-)
Great list, soon perhaps we can translate searches for pinot grigio to “grey pinot”.
Philip, aka Equine Amor
Love the lists. And yes, my parents did name me Ocean and it is because they love the water!
Ocean, i just assumed you were Kate (k8) and that you lived by the sea. What a cool name…
Nope, it’s Ocean. K8 comes from the fact that Ocean is ALWAYS taken and I am a teacher of grades k-8, hence k8. I guess it proves the point, it is all in the name.