Slavic-Rusyn Items

Slavic-Rusyn Notes
Carpatho-German Notes added 01/04/2005

The following text, links and photos were contributed by Dan Bavolack (here cited as 'db'), gradeschooled in McAdoo, then at MMI Prep. ('51) in Freeland, PA ... now (2003) a writer living in New York City. Dan's folks, Lemko-Rusyns, arrived in the USA from the village of Swiatkowa Mala, on the northern (Polish) side of the Carpathian Mountains where resides the boundary between south Poland and the modern Slovakia. My own people, Carpatho-Germans and Magyars, came from no more than thirty miles south in the Solivar suburb of Old Hungary's city, Eperjes, now the Slovakian city Presov. This fact of similar beginnings was unknown to us, growing up in the coal town, McAdoo, PA.

I've added Kathleen (Pusaver) Dorsam notes on Carpatho-German spellings. -- 01/04/2005 --- Ed.

BYELORUSSIAN SURNAMES

Patronymics are the main source of White Russian surnames. A Byelorussian "h" is a "g" in Russian (e.g., "Halicz" in Byelorussian is "Galich" in Russian.) Common surname suffixes are -ov, -ovich, -ovych, -evych, -onok, -yonok and -enock. The Polish suffixes -icz, -wicz, -owicz, and -ewicz are Byelorussian or Ruthenian/Ukrainian in origin. More surnames were derived from first names than from any other source, and most are patronymic (from the father), with very few being matronymic (from the mother).

RUTHENIAN/UKRAINIAN SURNAMES

Earliest surnames were taken from birds, animals and occupations. There are 4 main types of Ruthenian/Ukrainian surnames: those taken from (1) first names, (2) place names, (3) occupations and/or social status, and (4) personal characteristics. Names written in Cyrillic alphabet cannot be directly translated into Polish or English; therefore, these are only approximations.

-ak, -chak, -chuk, and -uk, with the most popular being -enko, -chuk and -uk. All mean "son of." They are used with Christian names, surnames, and occupational names. For example, "Petrenko" is the "son of Petro (Peter)." Peter's wife would be known as "Petrykha," and a matronymic surname would be "Petryshyn," "son of Peter's wife."

Surnames deriving from place names are of two kinds:

(1) the place where an ancestor came from or was residing, and

(2) the ethnic, national, or tribal origin of an ancestor. For example, "Zabolotnyj" is "one who lived beyond the marsh." "Wolyniak" probably came from the Volyn (Volhynia) region. "Tataryn" had a Tatar ancestor. "Boychuk" is from the "Boyko," an ancient Slavic tribe of Trans-Carpathia. Ukrainian nobility took their surnames from their estates or the localities they administered and added -cky, -sky, -skij, -skyj, and -zky (much like the Polish nobility who added -cki and -ski.) Adjectival surnames use the sufixes -ck-, -sk- and -zk-, and have the endings -yj or -ij for the masculine and -a or -ia for the feminine. Occupations and the social status of people greatly influenced surnames. Therefore, Ukrainian (Ruthenian) surnames may give a clue to the occupation of one of your early ancestors; for example, "Tkach" (the weaver), "Kravets" (the tailor), "Pekar" (the baker) and "Spivak" ) the singer.

Other surname endings are -ar, -is, -iy, -ka, -kar, -man, -nik, -nyk, -sur, -un, -yk, and -ylo. The most typical Ukrainian surname ending is -enko, which is not found in any other ethnic group, and is commonly found in central and eastern Ukraine.

SLOVAK AND CARPATHO-RUSYN SURNAMES

The ending -ula is a Latin diminutive meaning "little." It is seen in Polish, Slovak and Carpatho-Rusyn surnames, such as "Mikula" (little Nicholas) and "Babula" (little old lady.) Some -ula endings, however, do not mean "little," for example "Cebula" (onion) and "Fabula" (fable or story.) The surname ending -ulka is a Slovak diminutive ending. The suffix -ek is also seen in surnames of this area.

SLOVAK AND CARPATHO-GERMAN SURNAMES
(Added by sfp, 01/04/2005)

The following is a transcription of the work of Kathleen (Pusaver) Dorsam and her sister, Barbara (Pusaver) Hull. Only the formatting has been changed. ^{Endnote 1}

ORIGIN OF SURNAMES

Buschauer / Puschauer "Puschauer" represents a German spelling of Italian "Poschiavo", the name of the village between Tirano and Sant Moritz in Graubueden, Switzerland. There are living there mostly old nation Retoromans, Italians and German speaking Swiss people. Name of the village is Puschau, and shelters are Puschauer or Puschaus in English. The word "push" is probably a local word for German "bush", bunch in English. But in Slovenia, there is a very common family name Pusavers as "sh", in Slovene and not in the Slovak language."

The above is a transcription of e-mail sent to Barbara Hull Pusaver on 5/28/01 from Prof. Dr. Borut Juvanec, Ljubljana University, Faculty of Architecture, Slovenia. Barbara, searching the internet for any reference to the Pusaver name, came across an article entitled Stone Shelters "Die Puschauer Sele oder crot" She inquired as to the meaning of the surname and this was his response.

Charpentier French. The earliest use of the name appeared in 1160 with a family connected to the religious house of Vauchelles near Cambrai. It was recorded by historian-genealogist Jean le Charpentier in the 17^th century. The family were descendants of masons or architects associated with the religious house. Later it was translated loosely as "house frame". A charpentier was someone skilled at building houses.

Kessler Coppersmith, one who sold or made kettles

Marcin Of patronymic origin, it belongs to the category of names can be traceable to the personal name Marcin and the surname came to denote ‘ a son of Marcin’. This was one of the most common means of identification in the period prior to establishment of a formal heraditary surname system. The personal names of Martin & Marcin were popular in medieval times, and most likely derived from the Latin term meaning, literally, ‘dedicated to Mars; warlike, martial’. The Christian name Martin was also popular, due to the influence of the saints of the same name. With the universal spread of Christianity, parents frequently chose a saint’s name for their children, in the hope of invoking the particular saint’s protection.

Schaub One who lived by a wheat field; Old German, or Germanic name given to thatch: Schaub, Schoup

Schiller Wine gardener

Baumer - Germany
Paumer, Pamer - Slovakia

Bayer, Baier, Beyer - Germany
Pajer, Pajer, Bajer, Paier - Slovakia

Busch - Germany
Busch, Pusch, Puss - Slovakia

Buschauer, Bueschauer, Buoschauer, Buschenhauer - Austria, Germany & Liechtenstein
Buschauer, Puschauer, Pusauer, Pusaver, - Slovakia
Puschauver, Pushaver, Pusaver - USA

Charpentier, Carpentier, Carpantier - Germany
Karpenthia, Karpantie, Karpenzi, Karpentier, Karpanthia - Slovakia
Karpenci - USA

Cron - Germany
Kron - Slovakia

Feith - Germany
Feith, Fajt, Fait - Slovakia

Fridrich, Friedrich, Friderich - Germany
Friedrich, Fridrich, Fridrih, - Slovakia

Fuchs, Fuxs - Germany & Slovakia

Hajtinger - Germany
Hajtinger, Hajtinger Hajtinger, Haydinger - Slovakia

Hueth, Hut, Hutt - Germany
Hueth, Hut, Hult, Huid, Hueth - Slovakia

Kepler, Kebler, Koeppler, Keppler - Germany & Slovakia

Kessler, Kesler - Germany
Kessler, Kesler, Kessler, Kesztler - Slovakia

Krautkremer, Krautkraemer, Krautkramer - Germany & Slovakia

Kurtz - Germany
Kurtz - Slovakia

Rall, Rahl, Raalin, Roll
Rhal - Slovakia

Ringer, Rinker - Germany
Rinker, Ringer, Rynker - Slovakia

Schaub, Schaib, Schaup, Schaupp, Schaubb, - Germany & Slovakia

Schicker, Scheikers, Siker, Schiker - Germany
Schicker, Schikker, Siker, Sziker, Schiker, Sikker - Slovakia

Schiffer, Schifer, Scheifers, Sifer - Germany & Slovakia

Schuller, Schiller - Slovakia

Zahn - Germany
Zahn, Csan - Slovakia

See far more on these names in the several reports at the Bayer/Payer/Pajer Family Tree Database.

VARIOUS SPELLINGS OF GERMAN-SLOVAK NAMES

The names on the descendancy charts are presented in their original German / Austrian spelling; However, when these families settled in Slovakia, many names were changed to accommodate the customary usage and sound representations of the Slovak language.

German - B
Slovak - P

German - Y
Slovak - J prounounced as Y

German - C
Slovak - K

German - SS
Slovak - SZ

German - IE
Slovak - AY or AJ

German - Z
Slovak - CS or CZ

Endnote 1: See more on the investigations and travels of Ms. Dorsam in the Presov region of what is now Slovakia.

St. Mary's and St. Michael's Greek Catholic Parishes in McAdoo, PA

Re: St. Mary's and St. Michael's ---

"The first priest of these combined churches was Vladimir Andruchovich." I first came upon mention of this fellow as one who created serious problems in Shenandoah.

http://members.tripod.com/~stcyrils/origin/

[Ed. Note: The link points to the whole article which describes the early struggles of the Rusyn Church in the USA. A number of corollary links are also listed there].

"The departure of Father Wolansky [from Shenandoah] was a terrible blow to the entire Ukrainian immigration. In Shenandoah, conditions became chaotic and the faithful began sending complaints to Metropolitan Sembratovich against Father Andrukhovych, accusing him of irregularities in church finances because he did not properly administer the money collected.

"In response to these complaints, the Metropolitan again sent Father Wolansky to America to settle the problems. He arrived in Shenandoah on February 20, 1890. The meeting between Father Wolansky and Father Andrukhovych, and somebody transpired between them regarding the state of that parish, are a sad page in the history of the Ukrainian immigration. Suffice it to say, Father Andrukhovych did not allow Father Wolansky to celebrate the Liturgy in the church that he built, so he celebrated in rented buildings. He then revoked the authority he previously vested to Father Andrukhovych, but the priest refused to surrender the parish. This occurred on July 17, 1890, the very day that Father Theophan Obushkevych, the priest authorized by Metropolitan Sembratovich to take over the parish, arrived in Shenandoah. The matter had to be resolved by the District Court of Schuylkill County at considerable cost to the Ukrainian parish in Shenandoah.

"Father Wolansky, understandably, was discouraged and again returned to Galicia. Father Obushkevych went to Shamokin. Father Andrukhovych was suspended by Metropolitan Sembratovich and by Archbishop Ryan of Philadelphia, but he vowed not to leave the parish until he was paid $1,900.00 in damages. After receiving the money, he put the church up for sale and it was bought by John Smith of Mahanoy City. The parish then had to repurchase it from Smith. Father Andrukhovych left Shenandoah March 20, 1892 and went to McAdoo. He too then returned to Galicia. The Shenandoah Church treasury was burdened with a debt of $10,000.00, less the penny cash that was found by a man sweeping the church floor."

For More on this subject see:

"Clash of Titans"

St. Alexis (Toth)

Some of Dan Bavolack's Photos

DB
10/25/2003


Jakiv Bavolyak	Krempna Church Interior	Doll in Lemko-Rusyn Costume	St. Mary's Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church	Swiatkowa Church Ceiling

The High Tatras in the Carpathians				The Old Bavolack Store and Homestead

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