Why are Constantinos called Gus's
constantino
I always wondered why Constantinos's are called Gus's in the US.
Gus comes from Augustus and has absolutely no relation with
Constantinos. Both are Roman names. Yes, contrary to popular
belief the name Constantinos comes from the latin word constant
to signify one that is royal or "constant". I can see Dinos
deriving from Constantino but not Gus.
Gus doesn't have a nice ring to it.
Anyone knows how this Gus thing started?
Yorgos Papatheodorou
In article <4mue2f$o5v$2...@mhade.production.compuserve.com>,
My guess is that some unfortunate early immigrant had it
thrust down his throat; or someone else had the bright idea
of "translating' it that way; either way, you're absolutely
right, there's no relationship. Gus is a common contraction
of Augustus or Gustav, both common German and central European
names. It was a name that Middle America could relate to.
Once the practice got started, it stuck. There are other
examples that are as bad or worse. "Tony" for Tassos (Anastasios),
"Jimmy" for Demetrios, "Tom" for Thanasis (Athanasios), etc.;
my favorite is "Tiffany" for Foteine. I for one find these
practices silly and annoying and unnecessary; it may have been
an easy way out in 1890, but now that ethnic names have
proliferated and African-Americans make up their own as they
go along, there's no need for such contortions. I'll call people
what they want to be called, of course; but I will not
let any s.o.b. call me George; my name is my name is my name.
Yorgos
Vasos Panagiotopoulos +1-917-287-8087 Bioengineer-Financier Samani Marions Panyaught NYC-11357-3436-287-USA
In <4mvnep$n...@news1.sunbelt.net> by Yorgos Papatheodorou (yor...@LGE.COM)
on 10 May 1996 15:30:32 GMT we perused:
}>In article <4mue2f$o5v$2...@mhade.production.compuserve.com>,
}> constantino <10342...@CompuServe.COM> wrote:
}>right, there's no relationship. Gus is a common contraction
}>of Augustus or Gustav, both common German and central European
}>"Jimmy" for Demetrios, "Tom" for Thanasis (Athanasios), etc.;
}>my favorite is "Tiffany" for Foteine. I for one find these
It's like my granpa had trouble getting folks to say Bluhos so
he used Pappas - which is what one of my uncles also changed
Panagiotopoulos to. Or my friend's granpa who came from Smrna named
Socrates and had to change it to Louis.
How'bout those who changed Basil or Haralambos to Bob.
But many of my Jewish friends have done the same thing,
such as changing Nachum or Nitzan to Nelson or Niel.
The logiic wen something like this:
Haralambos -> Mpampis -> Bobby -> Robert
Constantine -> Kostas -> Gustas -> Gustav
(also argued that both were Caesars - ie Augustus & Constantine)
(Also changed to Charlie!!)
Dimitrios -> Mimmis -> Jimmy -> James
I think it was due to ignorance of BOTH culures to one extent.
Just for the record, I've played with this one and using a name dictionary
found that Dimitrios is better translated to Jefferson (Geoforos -> Geoffrey)
or that Haralambos is better Clarence or Bertram (ie Light..) James is
etymologically Iakovos in Greek. William (used for Basil on the dubious
contraction B'il) is Guilliermos if anything. Constantine is good enough
but at least they can use Dean. Sotiros could be Asher. Panayotis could be
Marion (actually in Italian it becomes Santo for Santissimo) (Heck, John
Wayne's real first name was Marion - which is why he changed it).
But look - my dad's brother did research on our name in Greece and
found us descended six generations ago from the revolutionary war
hero Kapetanissa Panaetuloyanina of Arta who settled in Prussos and
changed the name to Panayotopulos because it sounded less pagan - but the
mountain is named Panaetolikos to this day. So names changed even then.
I wish I knew that in hi school - then I'd'a been less opposed
to changing my surname.
Or How'bout my friend whose granpa decided there were too many folks
in his village - all related - named Yeoryiou so he divided them with names
like Yoyos, Yayas, Yorsas... (that's what they do in northern Greece -
they change some letters rather than add syllables like they do in the
south). And I've been told that there is a trend even in Greece today
towards shortening surnames everywhere. Gosh, I felt good in the
seventies when I saw a Greek TV show whose writer was named something like
Papadimitropulakatos....
--
Vasos-Peter John Panagiotopoulos II, Columbia'81+, Bioengineer-Financier, NYC
Bach-Mozart ReaganQuayleGramm Evrytano-Kastorian Cit:MarquisWhWFinanc&Indus
[00035...@mcimail.com , 76530...@CompuServe.Com, vj...@dorsai.org]
---{Nothing herein constitutes advice. Everything fully disclaimed.}---
Constantine the Great
This is total insanity!!! Excuse me but just because someone cannot
pronounce your name is not a reason to CHANGE IT!!!!!!!! I can't believe
that you have gone as far as making up alternative nicknames for these
beautiful and unique GREEK NAMES!!! I can't tell you how much I hate you
for this. I went through elementary hating my name and even hating
myself for it. But now my name gives me strength and I keep it proudly
as a sign of my Greek heritage!!!!!!! I will not call myself Dean you
liberal scum. Costa is just fine by me. It is people like you that made
me feel bad about my name when I was young. But now I have the strength
and courage after having overcome your crap to get up and spit on your
face!!! You call yourself a GREEK????? More like Greek American
trash!!!
Photos Hajigeorgiou
Costa the Great wrote:
You have a point. I lived in Canada for 21 years and with a name like
Photos you can imagine the target I became. To top it all off, I have
initials PH and became a chemist! Not to mention that I specialized
in the study of light, spectroscopy! If I had a dollar for every time I
saw my last name misspelled by a WASP I would probably still be in Canada.
But at the same time you cannot criticize some people for wanting to make
changes to their names so that they can enjoy better relations with their
every day world. Ultimately, it is a personal choice and as such it must
be respected. In the end, you are correct in that adverse reaction to a
foreign name can only mean ignorance and prejudice in SOME people, but not
all. I had no problems getting respect from natives once they got to know
me. If some people had problems with my name and chose to call me something
else (other than tagging nicknames, which is a proven sign that you are
indeed part of the community and held in respect), it is a reflection on
their close-minded approach to life in general.
You must show understanding to the natives because they are generally not
used to names like ours. Some Greek-Americans use alternate names in
public but use their proper names on official documents. What is the
difference between a Greek-American named Aggeliki calling herself Angie,
and a native American named Catherine calling herself Kate?
In the end, YOU and your personality are responsible for how natives react
to you as a whole, name and all. If you feel that natives are mistreating
you because you chose to use your baptized name instead of a North American
version, then perhaps you should take a closer look at yourself as well.
Isn't that right Saranti "Sam" Tsiaplas?
Cheers
Photos.
P.S.: So, to answer your question, Why are Constantinos called Gus's?
Because they allow it.
Constantine the Great
Of course we must show respect to the natives and at least help them out
of their close mindedness. And yes there is nothing wrong with a girl
calling herself Angie for Aggeliki because those two names are basically
the same but just translated. But this man gets Charlie for Costa???
That's just crazy.
And finally how exactly am I causing the problem??? What I was talking
about was when I was really young (now Im 16) kids would sometimes bother
me or now I have to repeat my name more than once. All that used to
bother me but now I have no problem with proudly saying Costa. I'm glad
you don't have a problem with people calling you by your name either.
Constantin Polychronakos
> constantino <10342...@CompuServe.COM> writes:
> I always wondered why Constantinos's are called Gus's in the US.
> Gus comes from Augustus and has absolutely no relation with
> Constantinos. Both are Roman names. Yes, contrary to popular
> belief the name Constantinos comes from the latin word constant
> to signify one that is royal or "constant". I can see Dinos
> deriving from Constantino but not Gus.
> Gus doesn't have a nice ring to it.
> Anyone knows how this Gus thing started?
>
>>>>
Something about self-esteem.
Cheers
Constantin Polychronakos
(don't even think of calling me "Gus")
Tom Christy
Constantine the Great (crop...@198.4.75.49) wrote:
: liberal scum. Costa is just fine by me. It is people like you that made
: me feel bad about my name when I was young. But now I have the strength
: and courage after having overcome your crap to get up and spit on your
: face!!! You call yourself a GREEK????? More like Greek American
: trash!!!
I think this is a bit of an overreaction...
as someone with both an anglicized first and last name, here's my 2 cents...
There's no way I'd anglicize a last name today, and I'll probably get
around to legally changing mine back some day. (mine is Christides in
Greek). I think American culture has progressed enough to make it
unnecessary. But you have to recognize what it was like for Greek
immigrants 75 or 100 years ago. First of all, sometimes they weren't
given a choice whether to change their names (first or last)...when they
got to Ellis Island, the immigration officer often anglicized the name for
them and they had no say in the matter. As far as the law and Americans
were concerned, their name was what the immigration certificate said, and
that was it. Also, Greeks had good reason to hide their ethnicity in
those days, especially Greeks further south. Don't forget that the KKK
didn't like Greeks much better than they liked blacks...maybe they didn't
lynch us, but I've heard stories of Greeks being harassed in the deep
south. Even today, I can see where someone going into politics might want
an anglicized name...when you hear "Dukakis" or "Tsongas," you know what
you're dealing with, and unfortunately there are still prejudiced people
out there. Another point, as someone else pointed out, Greeks in Greece
used to change their last names quite frequently, since last names were an
innovation in many parts of Greece anyway...don't forget that many Greeks
in 1821 still followed the ancient practice of using just their father's
name in the genitive. My family's name changed once over in Greece, from
Christodoulou to Christides (why, we don't know anymore), so I don't think
that the family felt as guilty about changing it again when they got over
here. But again, there's no way I'd change it today, and will probably
change it back.
As for first names, I have no problem with people here calling me Tom
instead of Thanasi. It's easier for the Americans to say. I'm glad I was
spared the teasing I would have gotten with "Thanasi" as a child...let's
face it, children can be cruel. It's not a matter of shame, just a matter
of making life easier...why do people use Thanasi instead of Athanasios or
Tom instead of Thomas in the first place? Convenience. If people want to
use their Greek first names in everyday life, I admire it and they can do
it that way; it's their choice. The important thing to me is that I know
what my real first name is...I give it every time I go for communion, and
it's what you'll be calling me for eternity in the next world, so I can
deal with "Tom" for 70 years. :-)
-Thanasis
(3rd generation born in the US, still 100% Greek and proud of it despite
my anglicized legal name!!!)
Constantine the Great
I think that you're absolutely right about making life easier. Your
analogy of Thanasi-Athanasios really turned me around. What I was
overreacting to was the fact that I am now 16 years old and my name is
Costa and that is what I've been always called and for me to change that
now would be insane and to see that other man talking about
changing Constantine to Charlie made me crazy. Crazy because if you're
gonna use the anglicized name then the parents should do the child a big
favor and use it from the day he is born because it is impossible to
change after that. So if you're gonna call the child by his anglicized
name from the day he is born then what is the use of giving him a greek
name in the first place???? This is what really confuses me!
What I have just written doesnt seem to make any sense and I'm sorry if I
confused you! :)
Kostas Halatsis
HORIS NA THELO NA PROSVALO KANENAN, TI NOIMA EHEI NA
MALONETAI GIA TA ELLINIKA SAS ONOMATA, OTAN AYTO GINETAI
STA AGGLIKA....
Kostas Halatsis
Dimitrios Zanikos
constantino <10342...@CompuServe.COM> writes:
>I always wondered why Constantinos's are called Gus's in the US.
> Gus comes from Augustus and has absolutely no relation with
>Constantinos. Both are Roman names. Yes, contrary to popular
>belief the name Constantinos comes from the latin word constant
>to signify one that is royal or "constant". I can see Dinos
>deriving from Constantino but not Gus.
>Gus doesn't have a nice ring to it.
>Anyone knows how this Gus thing started?
I remember the first time my dad took me to get registered at school.
We walked up to the office and my father informed the lady behind the
desk that he wanted to register me for the upcomming year.
She said "Name please?"
My dad said "Dimitrios"
She said "Spell it"
My dad sounded it out for her "DI MI TRI OS"
She said "What was that sir?"
My dad said "A sto dialo Mori, His name is Jim"
I always wondered how he got "Jim" out of Dimitri. His english was always
pretty bad. He goes to McDonalds and asks for an apple pie and they
think he wants to apply..
I got stuck with "Jim" until I changed it on the University forms. Of
course my family and friends always called me by my real name.
spi
In article <4n8tbf$h...@babbage.ece.uc.edu>, chri...@taft.law.uc.edu
says...
here in Australia where ethnic kids usually keep their given names,
I have called my daughter EVE, this is easily translated from Greek
to English (eve --->eva), I will do the same with any kids that I have.
e.g paul, pavlos (a proper transaltion) or Vasili (Basil),Petros (peter)
etc. Look at the Jews, they changed their names to fit in with the
dominant culture of their chosen country,it makes life easier.
spi (spiros) no translation unless you chop it to Ross.
Vasos Panagiotopoulos +1-917-287-8087 Bioengineer-Financier Samani Marions Panyaught NYC-11357-3436-287-USA
In <4nfara$3...@otis.netspace.net.au> by spi (s...@netspace.net.au) on
16 May 1996 13:33:30 GMT we perused:
}>I agree with your last paragraph about teasing at school and although
About ten years ago, when I wasin my mid20s, I picked up the phone
and it was a headhunter who immediately said "Oh, thank goodness
you don't speak with a heavy accent" Actually, being born here,
I have no accent. In fact, I'm rather unusual in having no accent
in either Greek, English or French.
}>here in Australia where ethnic kids usually keep their given names,
Well, Australia... your Archbishop was trouncing his fat butt and poetry
around here recently denying that you're a ghetto.. maybe in response to
my posts? Goes to show you how few the Greeks really are in either place.
Australia is one of those masturbating bastions of multiculturalism.
We Yanks expect our furners to assimilate un become Merkins,
}>I have called my daughter EVE, this is easily translated from Greek
}>to English (eve --->eva), I will do the same with any kids that I have.
My parents chose Vasos because they thought it would work
equally well in both cultures. Here in the states most Greeks are
from such illiterate backgrounds, they never heard anyone named Vasos
and ask why I have a girl's name!
}>etc. Look at the Jews, they changed their names to fit in with the
}>dominant culture of their chosen country,it makes life easier.
Not just them. Even the Irish changed McCaughey to McCoy, and what
about the Germans, esp during the two world wars..
oikonomakos petros
vj...@dorsai.org (Vasos Panagiotopoulos +1-917-287-8087 Bioengineer-Financier Samani Marions Panyaught NYC-11357-3436-287-USA) writes:
>But look - my dad's brother did research on our name in Greece and
>found us descended six generations ago from the revolutionary war
>hero Kapetanissa Panaetuloyanina of Arta who settled in Prussos and
>changed the name to Panayotopulos because it sounded less pagan - but the
>mountain is named Panaetolikos to this day. So names changed even then.
>I wish I knew that in hi school - then I'd'a been less opposed
>to changing my surname.
>Or How'bout my friend whose granpa decided there were too many folks
>in his village - all related - named Yeoryiou so he divided them with names
>like Yoyos, Yayas, Yorsas... (that's what they do in northern Greece -
>they change some letters rather than add syllables like they do in the
>south). And I've been told that there is a trend even in Greece today
>towards shortening surnames everywhere.
Oh, is there? Living in Greece for 21 years, I've never heard of someone
shortening his surname.
>Gosh, I felt good in the
>seventies when I saw a Greek TV show whose writer was named something like
>Papadimitropulakatos....
Papadimitropoulos or Papadimitrakopoulos could be Greek surnames, but not
the one you mentioned.
Auta,
Petros
LAnasta440
You really ought to calm down. It's just a loose translation.
Linda
Constantine the Great
lose?????????????????????