public function isInherited( &$originalColumn = null )
    {

        $inhcount = $this->attinhcount;
        if( $inhcount == 0 ) {
            $originalColumn = null;
            return false;
        }

        // short cut to prevent the work of finding the original column
        if( func_num_args() === 0 ) {
            return true;
        }

        // keep knocking off the parents until we reach the root
        $originalRelation = $this->getRelation();

        do {
            $originalRelation = $originalRelation->getParent();
        } while( --$inhcount > 0 );

        $originalColumn = $originalRelation->getAttributeByName( $this->name );
        return true;

    }