Well Suited for Her Job

Names with a special sound, a kind of roll, catch our attention around here. Therefore, out of the blue the other day, Brigitte wondered whether or not the name of one of our Supreme Court Justices, Sonia Sotomayor, might have a meaning. We both do this sort of thing—but I usually do the searching. Well, soto means a “thicket” and mayor means “major, high, or great.” The Spanish translate the French phrase force majeure, as fuerza mayor. You get the picture. The result pleased us—rather. Sotomayor had found the perfect name. Sonia is a variant of Sophia, and Sophia stands for Wisdom. And here is a lady wise about a major thicket, the laws of the United States…