During the Great French Revolution, a certain de Saint-Sir was brought before the court of the revolutionary tribunal. The President asks the accused about his name and surname.
“My name is de Saint-Sir,” the defendant replied. The particle de meant that a person belonged to the nobility family.
“There is no more nobility,” the chairman objected.
In that case, I am Saint Sir.
And since the pronunciation of the word "holy" is similar to the pronunciation of "Sen", the defendant had to give up this part of his surname.
The time of superstition and holiness has passed, there are no more saints.
I am just Sir.
This was the case with the members of the royal family at the time.
The kingdom with all its titles fell forever.
The accused had to admit that he had no name at all, and he was not subject to the law.
“I am nothing but abstraction – abstraction,” said Saint-Sir. You will not find a law punishing an abstract idea. You have to justify me.
And the confused tribunal indeed found the defendant innocent and sentenced the following: “A Citizen of Abstraction is offered to choose a republican name for the future if he does not wish to incite further suspicion.”