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Re: Attn:- Lumia
Benou is the French translation for the Egyptian god Benu or Bennu, Phoenix was the name in Greek. But if Benou is a surname, I think that it comes from the toponyme Benou, in the Pyrenes.I haven't here informations about the etymology of Benou, but it seems an adaptation to French spelling of the Occitan and Catalan of the North pronounce of the -O (e. g. Canigou for Canigó, in Catalan); then, the origin might be Benó.Mer is "sea" in French.Gondree: Is it Gondrée (with written stress) or is it pronounced gron-DEE? Because if it is the second possibility, the origin might be the French surname Gondry, from the German personal name Gundric (grund, "fight", and ric, "ruler, power"). If it is Gondrée, I don't know the origin.Godet is a French surname which comes from the German personal name Gode/Goddes (from god), directly or throught other old names as Godard. Degas is a French surname meaning "from Gas". Gas is a toponyme meaning "land not cultivated" and nowadays they still exist the towns Gas (Eure-et-Loire) et Gast (Calvados).I don't find anything about Ran.For French surnames, I recommend you this link:http://www.jtosti.com/noms/a.htm
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Ran, as in the place name Ranville, a town west of Quistreham, near Benouville and the river Orne/ Caen canal.Thank you for your help on these, unfortunately i just don't speak French, but thank you for the web site address, if you know of any in English, relating to French names of any description, they would be appreciated - thanks!
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If the others words/names are parts of toponymes, perhaps the explanation is not adequate, because the evolution of the toponymes often is very complicated and the final appearance of usual words in a combo is false. This is what is called popular etymology.E. g., in Catalan, very close where I live, there is a small village named Riudeperes. The people interprets the toponyme as Riu, "river", de, "of", peres, "peaches": "peaches". But, actually, the name comes from petra and means "river of stones".
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Sorry, "Toponymes" was me :)
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