Borges

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A surname borne by Jorge Luis Borges, the Argentine author known for short stories about labyrinths, mirrors and infinite libraries
2. The family name of Jorge Luis Borges, an influential Argentine writer celebrated for fiction blending philosophy, fantasy and metaphysical puzzles
3. A surname associated with Jorge Luis Borges, the Argentine poet and essayist whose inventive tales shaped twentieth-century literature

Etymology: Borges is a surname rather than a common word, and it belongs to Jorge Luis Borges, the Argentine writer whose short stories and essays made his name famous far beyond Buenos Aires. The surname itself is Portuguese and Catalan in origin, and English took it directly from those languages when it came to refer to him and his family. Because the name is a proper noun, its meaning lies in the person it names rather than in any dictionary sense. Borges's fiction, with its labyrinths, infinite libraries and invented books, has been so influential that the name is now often used as a shorthand for that kind of literary puzzle, though this use is informal and depends on readers knowing his work.