Patronymy
noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The practice of naming children after their fathers. countable, uncountable
"Neither of the two other Rodolfi in the oath can be Rodolfo di Andrea, it should he added, for they have other patronymies; and there are almost no other Rodolfi in the documents."
- 2 A son's name which is derived from his father's name. countable, uncountable
"Masculine patronymies commonly terminate in ides, which is added to the stem of the proper name— as Priamides, Cecropides (from Cecrops)."
- 3 An extended family grouping centered around the father's family. countable, uncountable
"It was a hierarchical group which consisted of concentric 'circles which formed patronymies of the first, second and tertiary order. A totality of patronymies made up a Patriarchal Clan."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
More examples"Neither of the two other Rodolfi in the oath can be Rodolfo di Andrea, it should he added, for they have other patronymies; and there are almost no other Rodolfi in the documents."
Etymology
From patr- + -onymy.