Marcel Proust's Interest in Names

THE FRENCH novelist and critIC, the author of .one of the supreme imaginative creations of world literature, had a keen interest in names, as may be seen in Cities of the Plain, the fourth of the seven volumes of his life work under the general title of A la recherche du temps perdu.As a child, Proust spent his holidays at Illiers and Auteuil, which together became the Combray of his novel, or at seaside resorts in Normandy with his maternal grandmother.His onomastic interest and knowledge of the changes that occur in names may be seen in the continuation of Chapter II and in Chapter III of Part II of Cities of the Plain.In Chapter II one finds the conversation and thoughts of the guests of Mme.Verdurin, who has a salon in Paris where she entertains philosophers, sculptors, artists, musicians, scientists, authors, aristocrats, scholars of various types, "all the very best people," on her famous Wednesdays.These are described by a wellknown medical doctor, a scientists and professor, by the name of Cottard, proud to be one of her guests.Train trips back and forth to her country home by the sea in Normandy as well as dinner parties and teas allow for discussion of names as some of the guests pass different spots or talk of numerous places and persons.A Polish sculptor, called Ski, for example, expresses interest in a book by a former cure about the place-names of the district through which they are passing, stating that he is interested in etymologies.A scholarly Academician by the name of Brichot is familiar with the book and points out that it is a "mass of error."In so doing he explains the origin of numerous names.He cites the word bricq (47), which the cleric says comes from Briga, "a height, a fortified place," finds it in the Celtic sources Latobriges and Nemetobriges and traces it down to such names as Briand and Brion.The place-names in the district Bricquebose, Bricqueville, and Bricquebec would then mean respectively "wood on

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