two random thoughts, which DO both have to do with morphology but are really just ordinary thoughts

1.  if Williamstown were in England, it would very likely be pronounced something like "Wemston".

2.  a place -- a list, a community, a fandom, whatever -- that seems (against its will or not) to foster more than its share of wank could, i think you'll agree, accurately be called a "wankubator".

threescore years ago

my grandparents were born in the united states.  their parents were not.

my grandmother's parents came in the early 20's, when it was beginning to be a good time if you were jewish to get out of eastern europe.  they were already married, so in fact my great-grandmother came with her husband's family, the lot of them; her family stayed behind.  her parents, and at least two sisters and i believe one brother.  i don't know if those siblings had families.  (and who knows how many aunts, uncles, cousins.)

the youngest sister's only child is a daughter is a little younger than my father, and they came to new york from israel when that cousin (technically my grandmother's first cousin, of course) was about ten.  her parents are gone now, but i remember the way the tattoos stood out on their arms, nearly illegible with age, not that you looked long enough to be able to read them.

the rest of the family, of course, never got out at all.  alehem ha-sholem.