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Archiver > BELGIUM-ROOTS > 2001-06 > 0991855380


From: Art & Marilyn Bolle <>
Subject: Re: [BEL-R] origin/meaning of name Lerminiaux
Date: Wed, 06 Jun 2001 13:23:49 -0600
References: <B743F00E.697%ypl@sympatico.ca>


Yolanda Paashuis-Lew wrote:

> Hello Janine,
>
> >From Albert Carnoy's "Origines des Noms de Familles en Belgique", the name
> Lerminiaux or Lerminez comes from a quality possessed by a particular
> animal. Ermine fur was worn by some nobles and magistrates and Carnoy
> believes that the name was a designation of an individual who wore the fur.
> One more idea on a possible origin of the name.
>
> Regards, Yolanda
>
> > From Marie-Therese MORLET, _Dictionnaire etymologique des noms de
> > famille_, Larminier, or Lerminier, from "l'erminier", is the name of an
> > occupation, a merchant of "hermines", a small animal used for its fur (I
> > don't have a French/English dictionary at hand to translate "hermine").
> > MORLET does not mention a variant with the -aux ending, but she covers
> > mainly French names, so I wonder if Lerminiaux is simply a Belgian-Walloon
> > regional variant of Lerminier.
> > Francois.
> > ______________________________________________________________________
> >
> > Francois Nielsen, Professor 919-962-5064 (office)
> > Department of Sociology 919-962-1007 (sociology department)
> > University of North Carolina 919-962-7568 (departmental fax)
> > Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3210 919-968-0245 (home)
> > E-mail: (alias for )

Hermine = ermine. There are three types, ranging from the prairie weasel, to
the bush weasel, to the least weasel. I used to trap them. They are white in
the winter, with a black tip on their tail. The least weasel is a visious
carnivore about the size of a mouse.
Bonne chance....Art.


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