ANGLO-SAXON PATRONYMICS. 443 
* Wilding,” commonly pronounced “ Wil-ding,’’ 
though erroneously, is also a family name. Now, 
what we want to ascertain is, whether there be 
any connection between the two names—and 
what that connection is; or, what is the import 
of the adjunct “‘ing;” whether it is an inflectional 
termination, as in the active participles just 
mentioned, or a particle in composition, having 
its own definite meaning. A reference to the 
very early Anglo-Saxon names so ending, can 
only determine such enquiries. 
Among the ancient Anglo-Saxon genealogies, 
which have descended to us, we find such lists of 
names as the following :—‘ Beldeg, (wes) Wod- 
ening, Woden, Frithowulfing, Frithowulf, Finn- 
ing, Finn Godwulfing,’ &c., where the termi- 
nations in “ing” are pure patronymics; and 
the passage quoted means—Woden was the son 
of Beldeg, T'rithowulf the son of Woden; Finn 
the son of Frithowulf; Godwulf the son of 
Finn, &c. The termination “ing” in Wilding, 
may hence be a patronymic ; and though it by 
no means implies, that such Wilding was the son 
of Wild; it still may be considered as having 
originally expressed ‘¢ Wild” the son; though 
the connection with the father is long ago lost. 
