Words like _braggadocio_, _trombone_, _balloon_, being words of foreign origin, prove nothing as to the further existence of augmentative forms in English. s. 340. _Patronymics._--In the Greek language the notion of lineal descent, in other words, the relation of the son to the father, is expressed by a particular termination; as, [Greek: Peleus] (_Peleus_), [Greek: Peleides] (_Peleidaes_), the son of Peleus. It is very evident that this mode of expression is very different from either the English form _Johnson_, or Gaelic _MacDonald_. In these last-named words, the words _son_ and _Mac_ mean the same thing; so that _Johnson_ and _MacDonald_ are not derived, but compound words. This Greek way of expressing descent is peculiar, and the words wherein it occurs are classed together by the peculiar name _patronymic_, from _pataer_=_a father_, and _onoma_=_a name_. Is there anything in English corresponding to the Greek patronymics? It was for the sake of this question that the consideration of the termination _-ling_, as in _duckling_, &c., was deferred. The termination _-ling_, like the terminations _-rel_ and _-let_, is compound. Its simpler form is _-ing_. This, from being affixed to the derived forms in _-l_, has become _-ling_. In Anglo-Saxon the termination _-ing_ is as truly patronymic as [Greek: -ides] is in Greek. In the Bible-translation the son of Elisha is called _Elising_. In the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle occur such genealogies as the following:--_Ida waes Eopping, Eoppa [^E]sing, [^E]sa Inging, Inga Angenviting, Angenvit Alocing, Aloc Beonocing, Beonoc Branding, Brand Baeldaeging, Baeldaeg V['o]dening, V['o]den Fridhowulfing, Fridhowulf Finning, Finn Godwulfing, Godwulf Geating_=Ida was the son of Eoppa, Eoppa of Esing, Esing of Inga, Inga of Angenvit, {287} Angenvit of Aloc, Aloc of Beonoc, Beonoc of Brand, Brand of Baeldag, Baeldag of Woden, Woden of Fridhowulf, Fridhowulf of Finn, Finn of Godwulf, Godwulf of Geat.--In Greek, [Greek: Ida en Eoppeides, Eoppa Eseides, Esa Ingeides, Inga Angenphiteides], &c. In the plural number these forms denote the _race of_; as _Scyldingas_=_the Scyldings_, or the race of _Scyld_, &c. Edgar Atheling means Edgar of the race of the nobles. The primary of _-ing_ and _-l-ing_ is descent or relationship; from these comes the idea of youth and endearment, and thence the true diminutive idea. In _darling_, _stripling_, _duckling_, _gosling_ (pr. _gesling_), _kitling_ (pr. for _kitten_), _nestling_, _yearling_, _chickling_, _fatling_, _fledgling_, _firstling_, the idea of descent still remains. In _hireling_ the idea of diminution is accompanied with the idea of contempt. In _changeling_ we have a Gothic termination and a classical root. See, for the full exposition of this view, Deutsche Grammatik, ii. 349-364, iii. 682. In the opening speech of Marlow's Jew of Malta we have the following lines:--