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Show The Meaulnjj of A merlon. The meaning of ihe name Amerigo has often been discussed, the only tiling certain cer-tain being that it is one of those naniesof Teutonic- origin, like Humberto, Aifonzo, Grimnldi, or Garibaldi, so common in northern Italy, which testify to the Gothio or Lombard conquest. Americ, which occurs as early as 744 A. D., is probably a contracted form of the name Amalaric, borne by a king of the Visigotlis, who died in 531. A Bishop Euirich was present at the council of Salisbury in 807, and an Americus Bab'starius is mentioned in the Close Rolls (Thirteenth century). It has been conjectured that the stem is im, from which we get the name of Emma. The meaning of this is not known with certainty, though Ferguson thinks it may denote "strife" or '"noise." Since, however-, the name is probably of Gothic origin, and since the Amalungs were the royal race of the OstragotliB, it is more likely that the stem is amal, , which was formerly thought to mean "without Bpot," but is now more plausibly plaus-ibly connected with the old Norse ami, "labor," "work." The Bufflce ric, cognate cog-nate with rex, reich and rick, means "rich" or "powerful," and thereforo the most probable signification of Amerigo ifl "strong for labor." Isaac Taylor in Notes aud Queries. |