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==Introduction to Personal Names== | ==Introduction to Personal Names== | ||
===Language Variation=== | |||
Many old documents and certificates that surface when searching through family papers will be written in German or Latin. Because of the many languages encountered in Czech records, it is not unusual to see several variations of an ancestor's name depending on the language of the record. An ancestor may appear as ''Wenceslaus'' in his Latin birth record, as ''Wenzel'' in his German marriage record, and as ''Václav'' in the Czech birth records of his children. | ====Given Name Variation==== | ||
Many old documents and certificates that surface when searching through family papers will be written in '''German or Latin.''' Because of the many languages encountered in Czech records, it is not unusual to see several variations of an ancestor's name depending on the language of the record. An ancestor may appear as ''Wenceslaus'' in his Latin birth record, as ''Wenzel'' in his German marriage record, and as ''Václav'' in the Czech birth records of his children. | |||
Another example is the Czech name ''Vojtěch''; in German it is ''Albrecht''; in Latin, ''Adalbertus''. Fortunately, not all names differ so markedly. The Latin ''Josephus'' is easily recognized as Czech ''Josef''. A listing of given names with translations in English, Czech, Latin and German is found on the Wiki. | Another example is the Czech name ''Vojtěch''; in German it is ''Albrecht''; in Latin, ''Adalbertus''. Fortunately, not all names differ so markedly. The Latin ''Josephus'' is easily recognized as Czech ''Josef''. A listing of given names with translations in English, Czech, Latin and German is found on the Wiki. | ||
====Surname Variation==== | |||
*Surnames may also be affected by the language in which the record was written. | |||
*Some priests simply '''translated the surname into the language of the church register'''. For example, the Czech surname ''Černý'' could be translated to ''Schwarz''. Similarly, ''Nový, Novák, Nováček, Novotný'', and ''Novotníček'' could be translated into German as ''Neumann''. | |||
*Usually surnames were not translated, but simply '''altered to fit the phonetic spelling and grammar of the language used in the parish register'''. It is not uncommon to see Czech surnames changed according to German spelling rules. Thus we find ''Čermák - Tschermak'', ''Šebek - Schebek'', ''Havlíček - Hawlitzek''. Likewise, German surnames often are seen with Czech spellings: ''Schultz - Šulc'', ''Schreier - Šrajer'', ''Schmidt - Šmid''. | |||
*Grammatically, there are two types of surnames: nouns and adjectives. Surname endings will vary according to the gender of the person. Female surnames are usually feminized with the basic endings: '''-ová''' or '''-á'''. | |||
====Inflection==== | |||
*In English some words have different endings depending upon how they are used in a sentence. A few examples of this are they-their-them, he-his-him, and who-whose-whom. This changing of words according to grammatical usage is called inflection. '''Czech is a Slavic language and as such is extremely inflective'''. | |||
*All nouns and adjectives, including names of people and places, are subject to changes that can be a source of confusion to anyone not familiar with this language and their complicated grammar. Here are some examples: | |||
*manželství mezi '''Janem Mikuleckým''' a '''Anežkou roz. Krplovou''' = marriage between '''Jan Mikulecký''' and '''Anežka Krplová''' <span style="text:red">Notice the name endings alter when placed in the grammar of the marriage.</span> | |||
*Josef, syn Ludvíka Ryby a Františky roz. Sýkorové = Josef, son of Ludvík Ryba and Františka Sýkorová | *Josef, syn Ludvíka Ryby a Františky roz. Sýkorové = Josef, son of Ludvík Ryba and Františka Sýkorová | ||
*z Prahy = from Praha (Prague), v Praze = in Praha, do Prahy = to Praha | *z Prahy = from Praha (Prague), v Praze = in Praha, do Prahy = to Praha | ||