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Why do so many German names end in MAN(N) ?

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Douglas H. Quebbeman

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Jan 9, 1995, 5:29:12 PM1/9/95
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The subject says it all. Does it indicate servitude (as in being
someone's man), or what?


--
--
-Douglas H. Quebbeman (do...@iglou.com)
"The large print giveth, and the small print taketh away." -Tom Waits

Robert Battle

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Jan 10, 1995, 10:29:25 PM1/10/95
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On Mon, 9 Jan 1995, Douglas H. Quebbeman wrote:

> The subject says it all. Does it indicate servitude (as in being
> someone's man), or what?
>
>

I'm by no means an expert, but here goes anyway. The German "man" means
"person," while "Mann" means "man," not that it matters. The majority of
"man(n)" endings indicated occupation, not servitude. For instance,
"Schuman(n) meant "shoe-man," or cobbler. Second, it could indicate a
place of origin, with the name of a place (whether country, town, or
geographic landmark) in front of the "man(n)." Third, it might involve a
personal description, like "Kahlman" (bald man). There are probably
others that I can't think of right now.

-Robert

---------------------------------------------------------------
Robert Johnson Fitzjohn Joelsen MacWilliam al'Isaac von William
filius Isaac O'William Elishase Williamkind
ap John Battle der Einwanderer
<bat...@u.washington.edu>

Alan J. Heckman

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Jan 12, 1995, 2:29:34 PM1/12/95
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Robert Battle (bat...@u.washington.edu) wrote:
> On Mon, 9 Jan 1995, Douglas H. Quebbeman wrote:

> > The subject says it all. Does it indicate servitude (as in being
> > someone's man), or what?
> >
> >
> I'm by no means an expert, but here goes anyway. The German "man" means
> "person," while "Mann" means "man," not that it matters. The majority of
> "man(n)" endings indicated occupation, not servitude. For instance,
> "Schuman(n) meant "shoe-man," or cobbler. Second, it could indicate a
> place of origin, with the name of a place (whether country, town, or
> geographic landmark) in front of the "man(n)." Third, it might involve a
> personal description, like "Kahlman" (bald man). There are probably
> others that I can't think of right now.

My Great-great-etc grandfather's (the one who hopped over here in 1839)
last name ended in two n's. (Diedrich Heinrich Heckmann). Since my
ancestors were poor farmers I guess they couldn't afford two n's so
they had to drop one. When I was on an extended business trip in
Germany (non-military - there aint no more) the phone company and
everyone else insisted on adding another n to my last name.

======================================================================
| Alan J. Heckman |
| Oracle Corporation |
======================================================================

John V B

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Jan 12, 1995, 6:15:05 PM1/12/95
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In the old handwriting the double n was represented by a horizontal line
over a single n -- in copying it it is easy to see how someone not
understanding the meaning of the horizontal line would only write one n.

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