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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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The Origin of Hundred Surnames The Chinese surnames are traditionally placed in a certain order. They were arranged in the form of a poem that schoolchildren would memorize. The first 408 characters correspond to single character surnames that existed during the Song Dynasty (960-1279). The next 60 characters correspond to 30 double character surnames of that period. Additional surnames follow. Chart here: http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/3919/hundred.html
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Joined: Dec 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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The anthropologist Colin Turnbull spent some time living with Pygmies in the Ituri Forest. When asked to explain his name he told them that it came from an ancestor who had stopped a bull from attacking the king. The king awarded his rescuer with the surname Turnbull. The Pygimies thought this was the funniest thing they had ever heard and awarded him the Pygmy name meaning His Father Killed An Animal.
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Joined: Nov 2002
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"Like Goncharov, the Russian author, whose name just happens to mean Potter."
Although I feel compelled to say, lest someone catch me out on this first, it really means Potters. The singular noun meaning potter is gonchar, and goncharov is the genitive plural.
And that reminds me of Rachmaninov. That's not a profession surname, but "Al Rahman" is one of the 99 Arabic names of God. It means "the merciful one", I happen to know by way of one of my co-workers who is Iraqi. His name, Hikmat, means wisdom, and Al Hakim, the wise one, is another of the 99 names. I have wondered many times, but can't figure out how to prove it, whether the composer had some kind of Arabic origins. It wouldn't be surprising for a Russian.
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"Kovalchek is Smith."
In Russian, it's the guy that shoes horses, a farrier. "Smith" is "kuznets". Or Kuznetsov, once it gets made into the genitive plural that language seems to prefer for family names that aren't adjectives, like Tolstoi, "the fat guy". Kovalchek is Ukrainian, perhaps?
Ooh! Ooh! My CDROM version of American Heritage Dictionary, 4th edition (hereinafter referred to as AHD4 for the sake of brevity) tells me what maybe I should have seen already, that the word "farrier" ultimately comes from Latin "ferrum", meaning iron.
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Aug 2000
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Chapman is an itinerant salesman, touring the villages with his chap-bag full of needles and pins, lace, ribbons, small toys and simple books (chap-books).
A Badger was much the same, but tended to work in towns, where he had to apply for a badge to prove that he was an accredited door-to-door sales person, rather than just a mendicant.
The same name can also apply to a pauper on poor-relief, who also was made to wear a badge in some places.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Here is a list with comprehensive inter-lingual etymologies: (if anyone can find the link to the complete list beyong the I-O I'd appreciate it...I tried and gave up): http://shop.store.yahoo.com/4crests/surmeanio.htmlFrm the link: >Kasparek is a Polish diminutive form (if you remove the diacritical marks from the Czech version, it is also the Czech form) of the German and Polish patronymic name Kaspar, from the given name which originally meant "treasurer" in Persian. It is supposed to have been one of the three Magi's names and gained popularity in Europe after the 12th century. Variations include Kasper, Kesper, Casper (German); Kasparski, Kasperski, Kasper, Kaszper, Sperski (Polish). Cognate forms include Jaspar, Jasper, Jesper (Low German); Jesper (Flemish); Jasper (English); Kaspar, Kasper (Czech); Gaspar (Hungarian); Casperii, Gasperi, Gaspero, Gasparri, Gasparro, Gaspardo, Gaspardi, Gasbarri, Parri (Italian). >Kusnerek is a Slavic diminutive variation of the German occupational name Kurschner (umlaut over the U) from the Middle High German word kursen = fur garment, which described the man who worked as a furrier. Kurssner, Kierschner, Korschner are variations. Kusnierz is a Polish cognate; Kushnir is found in the Ukraine, Kurshner is a Jewish form Anglicized from German, Kirschner, Kirsner, Kerschner, Kersner are other Jewish cognates.
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journeyman
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journeyman
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Oh, I've been found out!
Maria Gasparri
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,819
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
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I wonder if Luther (as in Martin) is related to luthier, one who makes lutes, violins and other stringed instruments?
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Joined: Mar 2001
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Geez, do I have to do all the work for youse guys when you're just a click away from a little knowledge and a little chuckle...well, okay, then, here ya go...(from the British Family Chronicle link): >The suffix "kin" can be used in surnames as a diminutive - so Tomkin is "Little Thomas", Wilkin is "Little William" and Perkin is "Little Peter". Similarly, Bartlett is Little Bartholomew, Dickens is the son of Little Dick and Philpott is Little Philip. Indeed, a Christian name can be altered over time. The name David, for example, has become: Davey, Davids, Dowell, Davidson, Davidge, Davie, Davies, Davis, Davison, Dayson, Davy, Davys, Daw, Dawe, Dawes, Dawkes, Dawkins, Daws, Dawson, Day, Davitt, Dowson, Dowd, Dowden, and Dowling. < So, now, if you know anybody named Dickens, you can be the first to splain the semantics of their name for them! 
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Joined: Mar 2001
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Wait a minute! Davidge!!?  Nooooo! Say it ain't so!
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