names
Posted by Kate on February 05, 1998 at 18:54:10:
In response to Austen copied much from Burney, written by Nora on February 05, 1998 at 17:52:48
] I have read the first sixty pages from Cecilia by Frances Burney, and I am amazed. It seems that Austen didn't create any of the names that she used.
Well, of course not, in a way. No (well, very few) authors "create" names - they use names that are in existence. And don't forget that the choice of names available was much narrower than today - only English names, no Italian, or Greek, or Scandinavian or Jewish or Russian or Polish names as are common place in the US for example. And the same would apply to first names - only good English names would be used. So no Kellys, or Kerens, or Carinas, or Katrinas or Marinas or Nicolettes or Jodys or Ginas or .... see what I mean?
I also read somewhere that some names were really popular with authors. For example, apparently about 80% of heroes were called Henry (that came out of something I read about NA).
So JA may not have been directly "copying" Burney - just using some of the same names in the limited supply available.
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