German translation
Barritt
I have been reading some church records from the southwestern part of Baden
in SW Germany (late 1700's). I am having trouble finding the meaning of a
word I believe to be Stabhalter. From context, I think that it is probably
an occupation, but my German-English dictionary doesn't have that word (it is
probably archaic--the word that is). Any help or suggestions would be
appreciated.
Thanks,
Robert Barritt
bar...@ariel.tamu.edu
Ian Glendinning
>Rooters,
>in SW Germany (late 1700's). I am having trouble finding the meaning of a
>word I believe to be Stabhalter. From context, I think that it is probably
>an occupation, but my German-English dictionary doesn't have that word (it is
>probably archaic--the word that is). Any help or suggestions would be
>appreciated.
Hmmm. From the component parts of the word ("Stab" and "Halter"), it
literally means pole (or staff) holder. Sounds like a trade name to me, but
goodness knows what it would be...
Ian
--
I.Glen...@ecs.soton.ac.uk Ian Glendinning
Tel: +44 703 593368 Dept of Electronics and Computer Science
Fax: +44 703 593045 University of Southampton SO9 5NH England
Capt Jennifer Lyon
"Stab" became "Stadt" which is city.
--jennie
Jodi Emblen
>.....trouble finding the meaning of a word I believe to be Stabhalter.
Ian Glendinning <i...@ECS.SOTON.AC.UK> says:
>>From the component parts of the word ("Stab" and "Halter"), it literally means
pole (or staff) holder.
One of my ancestral names is Fackler which has been translated to mean torch car
rier. We are guessing that these folks carried the
torches which lit the way for the noblemen.
Is it possible that Stabhalter was originally
a person who carried the standard or device of a nobleman which had been mounted
on a pole much in the way an eagle on a pole was
used by the Romans (or, perhaps, a flag)?
Jodi Emblen <emb...@ups.edu>
Karen has my list.
Weber Lee Baker
>
> >in SW Germany (late 1700's). I am having trouble finding the meaning of a
> >word I believe to be Stabhalter. From context, I think that it is probably
>
> literally means pole (or staff) holder. Sounds like a trade name to me, but
> goodness knows what it would be...
From this, one wonders if this position is military or governmental - i.e.
the keeper of the staff or sergeant at arms or someother position which
had a staff as a symbol of authority.
Weber
Jim Eggert x6127 g41
> In <930630141...@ariel.tamu.edu> Barritt <bar...@ARIEL.TAMU.EDU> writes:
>
> >Rooters,
>
> >in SW Germany (late 1700's). I am having trouble finding the meaning of a
> >word I believe to be Stabhalter. From context, I think that it is probably
> >an occupation, but my German-English dictionary doesn't have that word (it is
> >probably archaic--the word that is). Any help or suggestions would be
> >appreciated.
>
> Hmmm. From the component parts of the word ("Stab" and "Halter"), it
> literally means pole (or staff) holder. Sounds like a trade name to me, but
> goodness knows what it would be...
From my 1906 copy of Heath's German and English Dictionary
(copyright-free, I guess)
Stabhalter, m. mace-bearer; beadle; president (of a court of
justice); sergeant-at-arms; staff-holder (Survey.).
Is that sufficiently ambiguous for you?
--
=Jim egg...@ll.mit.edu (Jim Eggert)
Fred Rump from home
>In <930630141...@ariel.tamu.edu> Barritt <bar...@ARIEL.TAMU.EDU> writes:
>>in SW Germany (late 1700's). I am having trouble finding the meaning of a
>>word I believe to be Stabhalter. From context, I think that it is probably
>>an occupation, but my German-English dictionary doesn't have that word (it is
>>probably archaic--the word that is). Any help or suggestions would be
>>appreciated.
>Hmmm. From the component parts of the word ("Stab" and "Halter"), it
>literally means pole (or staff) holder. Sounds like a trade name to me, but
>goodness knows what it would be...
Before 1871 Stab was a measure of length roughly 120cm long. The measure was
used in place of meter during the period 1871-1884. The meter of 100cm then
replaced it. But all this has nothing to do with the question. Just more silly
info. :-)
Anyway, a Stabhalter was a Verwaltungsbeamter (administrative official) who
normally would also be the local judge. He held the staff! Normally such a
person was the head honcho of a small village: Ortsvorsteher would be another
description used in other parts of Germany.
There are other Stab* occupations like: Stabherr, Stabskeller, Stabschla"ger
etc - fun and games with a million German titles.
Fred
--
W. Fred Rump office: fr...@COMPU.COM "Home to a boy is merely like
26 Warren St. home: f...@icdi10.compu.com a filling station" (He's 25)
Beverly, NJ. 08010
609-386-6846 bang:uunet!cdin-1!icdi10!fr
Fred Rump from home
>One of my ancestral names is Fackler which has been translated to mean torch car
>rier. We are guessing that these folks carried the
>torches which lit the way for the noblemen.
A torchbearer was known as a FACIFER - in German: Fackeltra"ger. These people
would carry the torches during procession on Fackelsonntag (Torchsunday) or
Invocavit which was the 6th Sunday before Easter and the 1st Sunday of lent.
The idea was to light the way thru Lent to fast for 40 days until the Rising
of the Lord.
The word Fackler or Fa"ckler is from Oberdeutsch (high German) and particularly from the
the Wu"rttemberg/Baden area. It seems to be a deriviation of the word
Facker(t) but could also be from Vack/Fack which meant Pig.
To say someone was a facker (or to facker) meant he was a hemp and flax
breaker or beater and generally involved in the making of fiber for rope or
linnen yarn. In the high-german dialect this could turn into a fackler.
Augsburg records refer to a Hans der Facker in 1414 who had turned into a
merchant of yarn.
Now as to the piggy issue, many a farmer who raised pigs became a facker too.
History tells us about a farmer Merkelin Vacke (use of V or F was rather
arbitrary) in Wu"rttemberg in 1350. A farmer Jekel Vack shows up in Bohemia
in 1381.
Fred
PS I just checked something else and Brechenmacher, an authority on German
name origins, specifically says that a Fackler was NOT a torch-bearer or torch
manufacturer.
PPS One should be careful in simply translating a similar word to arrive at a
reasonable meaning for a name. See below.
PPPS Lest one gets other funny ideas when running into the occupation of:
fucker - this was simply a wholesaler and general merchant. In history we've
all heard of the Fuggers of Augsburg who financed the wars of the empires of
Europe. It's all the same name.
--
W. Fred Rump office: fr...@compu.com Es war einmal!
26 Warren St. home: f...@icdi10.compu.com