On dream travelers

Gerry Quinn · 14 Feb 2011, 18:04 · from 2011-February.txt.gz

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From: gerryq at indigo.ie (Gerry Quinn)
Date: Mon, 14 Feb 2011 18:04:37 -0000
Subject: (urth) On dream travelers
References: <252923.63255.qm at web161815.mail.bf1.yahoo.com><820EA51709954262A2D64973FDFF1388@jill>	<67F4C11A-49D9-40F6-9BB1-9A5428FE1999 at io.com><696F89E4375940C487B8B758DB8EA399@jill>
	<4D592A49.30208 at gmail.com>
Message-ID: <65712C33AE524B36ABB2B75E8D7AE4DD@jill>


From: "James Wynn" <crushtv at gmail.com>
> Gerry Quinn:
>> I'm not crazy about "Jean", though - that is French for 'John' and is 
>> pronounced similarly.  Eugene seems to be the closest French name to 
>> Gene. I don't know if the French ever use Gene as a diminutive.
>
> It has always seemed likely to me that "Gene" (if that is the ultimate 
> spelling) is an assimilation. Originally, the name was Jean. This seems 
> implied by the Aunt Jeanine's name, by the fact that all abo males are 
> named "John", and that twinnish, shared-dreams between VRT and Number 
> Five. Perhaps the English call him "Gene" because it looks like that the 
> way it is spelled.

I disagree that there's evidence for assimilation.  The head of the 
household is still called Maitre. Besides, if he is called Gene because his 
name is spelt Jean then his name is still not Gene but Jean.

As for the abo stuff, I don't think it's relevant.  The use of the name John 
tells us nothing about Gene, and I don't believe there is any connection 
between Number Five and the abos.

- Gerry Quinn

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