I saw a puzzling comment in an arts supplement recently from the late Portugese novelist Antonio Tabucchi. He commented in passing on a surname that: ‘In Portugese ‘Pereira’ means “pear tree” and like all names for fruit trees it is a surname of Hebrew origin – just as in Italy where the surnames of Hebrew origin are the names of cities.’
It does not make any sense or prompt any connections with me. Does anyone know what this refers to?
Tom La Dell
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