expressions - How may one properly use "born by ..."?


If one's mother is Jane and their father is Dave, and their name is John Smith, would they say any of the following?



I was born John Smith by Jane Doe and Dave Smith
I was born John Smith by Jane Doe to Dave Smith



What's the proper use of "born by.." and "born to.."? Men say that their wife bear them children. How does one mention in this structure the mother and father both?



Answer



While one can't be BORN by one's mother, all of us are BORNE by or of our mothers.


One could, however, say that one was sired or begot by their father and BORNE by their mother, both of whom are their progenitors.


Your examples:


1) I was born John Smith by Jane Doe and Dave Smith; 2) I was born John Smith by Jane Doe to Dave Smith – neither example is grammatically correct.


Correct possibilities:


• I was BORN John Smith (meaning having certain qualities or characteristics from the time of your birth, in this case, the name John Smith), TO or OF Jane Doe and Dave Smith.


• I, John Smith, was BORNE [meaning carried or given birth to] BY or OF my mother, Jane Doe.



sired transitive verb: 1a: father


borne past participle of bear


bear transitive verb: 2a: to give birth to.


begotten transitive verb: 1: to procreate as the father: sire


progenitor noun: 1a: an ancestor in the direct line: forefather; 2b: a biologically ancestral form



(linked definitions courtesy of Merriam-Webster online)


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