In a message dated 02/08/2000 12:01:14 PM Eastern Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
<< Your suggestion that these nepotes might actually be the sons
(illegitimate of course according to the Gregorian reformers) is
particularly interesting to me, as I have suspected something of the
sort myself. I believe that, until very recently, nephew served as a
well understood euphemism for bastard son in France. Of course this
is all *highly* speculative... and perhaps really unresolvable. It
would be interesting to know if anyone else has had this perception,
however. >>
I don't know how far back it goes, or how wide a provenance, but I do recall
that "nephew" was a typical euphemism for an illegitimate son of any number
of Renaissance popes. Rodrigo Borgia (Alexander VI) was probably one of the
few who actually acknowledged his offspring for what they were.
Anyway, back in 15th cent. England (a time and place of which I am more
familiar), there were a number of bishops who were said to be nephews (as in
the son of a sister or brother) of other bishops, but it would appear they
have geneologies proving the point. Of course the whole stemma could have
been falsified, but it is hard to prove them wrong.
mark
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