Posted by Dave Thewlis on July 11, 2003 at 14:57:46 from 148.78.245.13 user dthewlis.
In Reply to: Re: Evgenia's reference to "Arthur Ransome" posted by RichardG on July 11, 2003 at 12:45:21:
I don't think that is very likely. She would certainly have known that his father's name was Cyril, so if anything he would have been "Arthur Cyril" - but there is no satisfactory way of forming a patronymic in English and just using the father's first name doesn't sound right. "Arthur Cyriliich" is what she probably would have said.
If I remember correctly when the patronymis is formed (to use your example" "Mikhail" becomes "Mikhailovich" but is actually pronounced by omitting the "ov" and lengthening the "i" becoming "Mikhailiich."
The notion of "Arthur Ransomiich" is a bit daunting ....