Editing Carl Linnaeus (section)

===Childhood===
{{See also|Linné family}}[[File:LA2-Rashult-2.jpg|thumb|right|Birthplace at [[Råshult]]]]

Linnaeus was born in the village of [[Råshult]] in [[Småland]], Sweden, on 23 May 1707. He was the first child of Nicolaus (Nils) Ingemarsson (who later adopted the family name Linnaeus) and Christina Brodersonia. His siblings were Anna Maria Linnæa, Sofia Juliana Linnæa, Samuel Linnæus (who would eventually succeed their father as [[Rector (ecclesiastical)|rector]] of Stenbrohult and write a manual on [[beekeeping]]),<ref name="Blunt12"/><ref>[[#Stöver|Stöver (1794)]], p. 8.</ref><ref>[[#Broberg|Broberg (2006)]], p. 10.</ref> and Emerentia Linnæa.<ref>{{cite web|title=Nicolaus Linnæus|url=http://www.geni.com/people/Nicolaus-Linn%C3%A6us/6000000006836790143|website=Geni|date=July 1674|access-date=27 January 2016|archive-date=3 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160203132030/http://www.geni.com/people/Nicolaus-Linn%C3%A6us/6000000006836790143|url-status=live}}</ref> His father taught him Latin as a small child.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.famousscientists.org/carolus-linnaeus/|title=Carolus Linnaeus – Biography, Facts and Pictures|website=FamousScientists.org|language=en-US|access-date=10 April 2019|archive-date=6 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190406164711/https://www.famousscientists.org/carolus-linnaeus/|url-status=live}}</ref>

One of a long line of peasants and priests, Nils was an amateur [[botanist]], a [[Lutheran]] minister, and the [[curate]] of the small village of Stenbrohult in Småland. Christina was the daughter of the rector of Stenbrohult, Samuel Brodersonius.<ref>[[#Fries|Fries (2011)]], p. 376.</ref>

A year after Linnaeus's birth, his grandfather Samuel Brodersonius died, and his father Nils became the rector of Stenbrohult. The family moved into the [[Clergy house|rectory]] from the curate's house.<ref name="Blunt13"/><ref>[[#Quammen|Quammen (2007)]], p. 1.</ref>

Even in his early years, Linnaeus seemed to have a liking for plants, flowers in particular. Whenever he was upset, he was given a flower, which immediately calmed him. Nils spent much time in his garden and often showed flowers to Linnaeus and told him their names. Soon Linnaeus was given his own patch of earth where he could grow plants.<ref>[[#Blunt|Blunt (2004)]], p. 15.</ref>

Carl's father was the first in his ancestry to adopt a permanent surname. Before that, ancestors had used the [[patronymic]] naming system of Scandinavian countries: his father was named Ingemarsson after his father Ingemar Bengtsson. When Nils was admitted to the [[Lund University]], he had to take on a family name. He adopted the Latinate name Linnæus after a giant [[linden tree]] (or lime tree), ''{{lang|sv|lind}}'' in Swedish, that grew on the family homestead.<ref name="Blunt12">[[#Blunt|Blunt (2004)]], p. 12.</ref> This name was spelled with the [[æ]] [[Typographic ligature|ligature]]. When Carl was born, he was named Carl Linnæus, with his father's family name. The son also always spelled it with the æ ligature, both in handwritten documents and in publications.<ref name="Blunt13">[[#Blunt|Blunt (2004)]], p. 13.</ref> Carl's patronymic would have been Nilsson, as in Carl Nilsson Linnæus.<ref>Gribbin, M., & Gribbin, J. (2008). ''Flower hunters''. Oxford University Press, US. Pg. 29. {{isbn|0199561826}}</ref>