Phrasal verb
call after
Definition
phrasal verb. to give a child the same name as someone else, usually a family member or a famous person.
phrasal verb. to bestow a name upon a person, typically a newborn, in honour of a predecessor or relative; transitive and inseparable in this sense.
Examples
“They decided to call the baby after his grandfather.”
“Since her mother was a famous scientist, she was called after her in hopes she would follow the same path.”
“It remains a longstanding tradition in many cultures to call the firstborn son after his paternal grandfather to preserve the family lineage.”
Examples
simple
“They decided to call the baby after his grandfather.”
contextual
“Since her mother was a famous scientist, she was called after her in hopes she would follow the same path.”
complex
“It remains a longstanding tradition in many cultures to call the firstborn son after his paternal grandfather to preserve the family lineage.”
Usage
usually used in the passive voice ('be called after') or with a direct object ('call him after').
Teaching tip
contrast with the American English preference 'name after'; 'call after' is more common in British English but both are widely understood.
Pitfall
He was called after of his uncle.
He was called after his uncle.
the preposition 'after' directly follows the verb and precedes the object; do not add 'of'.
Phrasal verb
Particles
after
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
call + object + after + object
Synonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/call-after