Concept in Definition ABC

Two people are namesakes when they both share the same name and it would not be correct to use this word to coincide between surnames. In the language popular is very common hear phrases like "I present to you my namesake" or "what's up, namesake". This term is very common in Spain and in all Spanish-speaking countries, especially in Mexico. where it is used in a diminutive or augmentative way with a loving and friendly sense (tocayito or tocayazo).

Various theories about the origin of the word

The etymology of words can be a complex matter, as it is not always clear where they come from. This is what happens with the term namesake, as there are several explanations for its true origin.

Some linguists affirm that this word comes from the term tocaitl of the language Náhualt, which means to be called.

Other scholars of the language believe that namesake comes from a expression Roman ("ubi tu Gaius, ibi ego Gaia") that was used as formula among the newlyweds and that could be translated as follows: if your name is Gayo, I will be Gaya. The Latin words tu Gaius would have evolved into the namesake word.

The thesis Náhualt is rejected by most experts, as they consider that it is very strange that a term in Spanish comes from a language indigenous, since most Spanish words come from Latin or Greek.

The Roman thesis is equally disputed, since the exact meaning of the nuptial formula is not clear. On the other hand, it must be remembered that the first record of the word tocayo appears in 1820 and this circumstance seems incompatible with the Latin origin (it is very strange that a Latin voice appears in the Spanish language at the beginning of the XIX century).

A curious and striking aspect is the fact that "namesake" is not used in other languages ​​of Latin origin, such as French or Italian.

As you can see, the unknown origin and uniqueness of this word makes us face an enigma of our language.

The etymology of words

The debate The linguistic study of the word namesake highlights that the question of etymology is of great interest to those who want to know the origin of words. In this sense, there are many curiosities that attract attention: morphine comes from Morpheus (the son of the god of dreams, Hypnos), single comes from Latin solitarius (solitary) and murderer comes from the Arabic haschischin (the haschischin were the members of a sect that killed everyone their boss commanded run).

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