What's the difference between metronymic and patronymic?

Metronymic


Definition:

  • (a.) Derived from the name of one's mother, or other female ancestor; as, a metronymic name or appellation. -- A metronymic appellation.

Example Sentences:

Patronymic


Definition:

  • (a.) Derived from ancestors; as, a patronymic denomination.
  • (n.) A modification of the father's name borne by the son; a name derived from that of a parent or ancestor; as, Pelides, the son of Peleus; Johnson, the son of John; Macdonald, the son of Donald; Paulowitz, the son of Paul; also, the surname of a family; the family name.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) Tom Jaine writes: Robert Carrier was born Robert Carrier MacMahon, but dropped the patronymic when in France after the war: "It sounds good in French and it looks well visually," he remarked.
  • (2) Several explanations are offered for this, including polyphyletism of surnames and the presence of Scandinavian patronyms in this population.
  • (3) The Handmaid's Tale tells the story of Offred – not her real name, but the patronymic she has been given by the new regime in an oppressive parallel America of the future – and her role as a Handmaid.

Words possibly related to "metronymic"