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Joined: Jul 2011
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stranger
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OP
stranger
Joined: Jul 2011
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Women engaged in many medieval professions, and some surnames derived from professions survive in two forms, masculine and feminine. The suffix -ster indicates the female form. Thus: Baker/Baxter; Weaver/Webster;Brewer/ Brewster. Chaucer's Wife of Bath was a clothmaker, a webster, and the annoying mystic, Margery Kempe was a brewster.
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295 |
Hello and welcome. This is interesting. I had the surnames in mind this day and seeing this, I wonder if this phenomenen you mention is typical only for English surnames. Dutch, which in the past has been so closely related to English does not have this. We have f.i. surnames like: Bakker, but no Bakster. Wever, but no Weefster. Brouwer but no Brouwster. And does this tell something about differences in societies? Was our society more partriarchal than the English? Were in certain societies people rather named after their father ( John Johnson, William Williamson, ( >Icelandic, Scandinavian and Dutch traditions have this a great deal) than after their father's profession? Or, if a man had no real profession or trade all one could do was to take this son of/daughter of choice? ( Jónsón-Jónsdóttir ). Hessels means son or daughter of Hessel (old Dutch proper name) Jacob comes back in the surname Jacobse-Jacobsen. Hendrikse- Hendriksen, etc. Many thing to consider. 
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Joined: Dec 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
The -ster suffix in English came down from Old English -estre. Perhaps it was somewhat different in Dutch. There are also place names and characteristics. The ancestral Joe Church may have lived near the church and Jim Brown was dark complected.
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Joined: Mar 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
Baker/Baxter Wow, I never knew that! Cool! Thanks, and welcome aBoard!
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295 |
The -ster suffix in English came down from Old English -estre. Perhaps it was somewhat different in Dutch. There are also place names and characteristics. The ancestral Joe Church may have lived near the church and Jim Brown was dark complected. Never thought of all these possibilities. Funny, I find no 'Church' Googling for names , but lots of 'Churchyard' (Kerkhof), 'Churchyards' or van Churchyard. Also lots of Brown (Bruin) and The Brown/ or Browns. Historically we are of light complexion.
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,290
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,290 |
Ceci n'est pas un seing.
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
NOW I remember reading your first one; not so much the second, sorry. Thank you for the remindery!
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Joined: Jun 2008
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,944 Likes: 3 |
----please, draw me a sheep----
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Joined: Sep 2010
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,706 |
Surname names not so different in other countries, then Bran.
And that makes it easier when 'breaking down' language and in the understanding....as explained by Zm's links. (I never did like that word 'spinster' but I'll look at it in a different light now).
I looked up my name in your link Luke.
earliest form..... 1166.
Now thats old!
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Joined: Jun 2008
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,944 Likes: 3 |
They are pretty good sites. Easy to use too.
----please, draw me a sheep----
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