[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Saint Szczepan-Saint Stephan

Bronwyn Klimach bronklimach at gmail.com
Sat Feb 3 04:03:56 PST 2007


 Hi,
I was under the impression that the -ow ending (pronounced as in the town
Prenzlau which appears as Prenzlow on some old maps)  was of Slav origin.
Am I mistaken?
Otto, can you tell me please, when were Berliners adding -ow to their
surnames?
Bron.


 On 2/2/07, Marlo50 <Marlo50 at bex.net> wrote:
>
> Otto, now you bought up a thought.  My family history has a name Schwochow
> and I don't know where they came from except Pommern.  You say the Germans
>
> added an "ow"
> to sound more Prussian.  Can there be a name Schwoch and would it be
> German?
> And do you know when this was done?  I have an Andreas Michael Schwochow
> who
> was born in 1813 perhaps in Kreis Rummelsburg.
> Any help?      Margaret
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Otto" <otto at schienke.com>
> To: "Gary Warner" < gary at warnerengineering.com>; "S G G E E"
> < ger-poland-volhynia at eclipse.sggee.org>
> Sent: Friday, February 02, 2007 6:08 PM
> Subject: [Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Saint Szczepan-Saint Stephan
>
>
> Greetings Gary,
> No, I didn't duck the Szczepan question in my E-letter to you this
> afternoon...
> I decided it was time for a beer with an old friend and placed you on
> hold.
>
> I just returned from a visitation with my old Polish friend Felix
> Wolanin.
> (great meaty homemade sausage with the beer)
> I inquired as to the frequent use of the Polish name 'Szczepan'.
> Both Felix and his wife Maria immediately agreed that with them it is
> an ancient name.
> (they are both of the roman catholic persuasion)
> One not used in place of Steven or Steve by them.
>
> 'Szczepan, pronounced by a Polish tongue as heard by my ear, is
> "Che'pahn".
> (kinda with a lisp at the start)(if my life depended on proper
> Polish, I'm a goner)
>
> It is the name of the religious Saint Szczepan, or Saint Stefan [L.
> Stephanus]
> They stated the festival of St. Szczepan is right after Christmas in
> Poland.
> (or was... they both scooted as failed freedom fighters in the '60's-
> Poland's loss.)
>
> Günther is correct in stating the German equivalent as being 'Stephan'.
> German pastors could well have translated Stephan to the Polish
> 'Szczepan'.
> I had an old friend from the territories, Heinrich Stephan.
>
> The Polish suffix 'ski' still appears to be confusing to some.
> Szczepan-ski simply indicates "from the estate of Szczepan."
>
> After 1806 and Napoleon sounding the death knell for the feudal
> system, individuals could now own their own acre of the good earth.
> Many now added the 'ski'. . . After all, they were now vested
> landowners. A fad, similar to Berliners adding 'ow' to sound more
> Prussian in nature years back.
> A question remained regarding use of the suffix. . .
> Did they own the estate? or did the Estate own them?
>
> . . .   Otto
>
>             " The Zen moment..." wk. of January 28, 2007
>                 ________________________________
>                           "Speak... without saying."
>
>
>
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