From: Bob Gustafson <bobgus@...>
Date: 2001-06-22T02:50:10+09:00
Subject: [ruby-talk:16719] Re: Commenting code

Luigi Ballabio wrote:
>At 01:41 PM 6/21/01 +0900, you wrote:
>>Alvaro Segura <asegura@facilnet.es> writes:
>>
>> > Officially in Spain we have one first name (simple or compound) and TWO
>> > family names, one from the father and one from the mother (in that order
>> > by default, but can be changed). And women don't change their name when
>> > they marry. Often the first (paternal) family name is enough, but a
>> > proper identification needs the second (maternal) one too.
>> >
>> > And again this is hard to fit in american style forms that require a
>> > (proper) first name, a middle name and a (family) last name.
>>
>>Well you still have it easy compared to (most) Indonesians, who don't
>>have family names at all, only one or sometimes more given names.
>
>Or the case of Iceland, where, if I'm not mistaken, the analog of the last
>name is the first name of the father (translating this in english, the son
>of John Williamson, i.e, son of William, might be called Harry Johnson,
>i.e., son of John). Correct me if I'm wrong, though.
>
>Bye,
>         Luigi

Awhile ago in New Delhi, I was introduced to K. R. Jayaraman's brother
whose name was K. R. Subramanium.  I thought maybe 'brother' meant just
good friend.

A few days later, I was walked through the naming convention - K was for
Koottala, which was the ancestral village in Kerala, R was for the father's
(last) name and the Jayaraman, or Subramanium was the given name (like John
or Robert).

I think I have that story correct.

BobG