BODY

BODY. Boda, (latinized Bodus,) occurs in Domesd. as a previous tenant, and therefore probably a Saxon. Now hoda is ASax., and hodi O.-Norse, for a messenger, and, in a subordinate sense, a preacher. It follows, therefore, that Truebody is equivalent to 'faithful messenger,' Lightbody to 'active messenger,' and Freebody to 'ambassador of peace.' (A-Sax. frith, peace.) Again Handsomebody (the original meaning of handsome being handy, active) is a 'useful messenger,' while Goodbody, originally written Godebodi, may be no other than God's messenger — a preacher of the Gospel. The Gr. ayytkoQ is used in the double sense of messenger and preacher in Mark, i. 2. See Ferguson for further conjectures.

Lower, Mark A (1860) Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom. London: J.R. Smith. Public Domain.