"Charles Linnaeus was born on 23d May 1707, at Rashult, in the province of
Smaland. His father, Nils, whose ancestors were peasants, was pastor of the
village, and being the first learned man of his house, had, agreeably to a
custom prevalent in Sweden, changed his family-name with his profession, and
borrowed that of Linne' from a large linden-tree, which stood in the vicinity
of his native place, between Tomsboda and Linnhult. His mother, Christina
Broderson, was the daughter of his father's predecessor in office."

The above is the first paragraph on Linnaeus from LIVES OF EMMINENT ZOOLOGISTS
by W. MacGillivray, a tattered discard from an eastern Indiana library which
happened to fall into my hands a few years ago. It is a second edition dated
MDCCCXXXIV (1834), Edinburgh.

This paragraph seems to indicate that when Charles Linnaeus was born, his
father's name was Nils Linne'. I have kept this book simply because it comes
from a time much closer to that period of interest, and I hope that it reports
the facts with less "time" distortion than later books.

Add this tidbit to growing heap info on Linne'..

Aloha,

Bob Dayle

----------------------------------------------------
Quoting Andy Rindsberg <[log in to unmask]>:

> Hi Scott,
>
> Interesting to hear of the triple linden. "Lime" is another variant of the
> Germanic word that yielded "linden". The tree is more commonly called
> "basswood" in the United States. The citrus "lime", a word for a different
> tree altogether, derives from Arabic through Provençal and French and so the
> two "limes" are inconveniently homonymous. Source: Webster's Ninth New
> Collegiate Dictionary.
>
> The surname Ingemarsson would not have been inherited in Sweden before the
> 18th century. It literally meant "Ingemar's son". Surnames thus changed
> every generation.
>
> Sweden was one of the last European countries to require fixed surnames for
> official registry. Russia made the change even later, though some people
> already had surnames. In conservative Iceland, they use the old system even
> now.
>
> Andrew K. Rindsberg
> Geological Survey of Alabama
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Conchologists List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
> Scott Jordan
> Sent: Thursday, January 12, 2006 8:46 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Linnaeus' roots
>
>
>
> The family name Linnaeus was taken by Nils Ingemarsson in honor of a triple
> trunked linden tree that grew next to the family farm.  Other relatives took
> this name as well.  It has nothing to do with lime trees.
>
>
>
> Scott Jordan

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