Saturday, October 2, 2010

Happy Name Day Olívie & Oliver! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Today we honor Olívie & Oliver.  Happy Name Day, Olívie & Oliver!
The name Olívie is the Czech form of Olivia, which is of Latin origin and means "olive tree". The name was coined by Shakespeare as the name of a much-wooed aristocrat in his play "Twelfth Night" (1599).  He may have derived the name from the olive plant, or as a feminine form of Oliver.  In Biblical terms, the olive tree is a symbol of fruitfulness, beauty, and dignity. 

Malvolio courts Olivia, while Maria covers her amusement, in an engraving by R. Staines after a painting by Daniel Maclise

The name Oliver is also of Latin origin, and also means "olive tree".  It's the name of one of Charlemagne's knights in the 12th-century poem, "Chanson de Roland"