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Archiver > ITALY > 2000-08 > 0966432506


From: "Elizabeth Cardinal" <>
Subject: Re: English given name
Date: Wed, 16 Aug 2000 09:28:26 -0400


I am beginning to think some immigrants had or were given an identity
problem. It seems as if the first person they came in contact with changed
to name to what he thought he was hearing or what he could spell. When the
immigrant realized what happened, he either kept it, reverted to his old
name or chose a new one...maybe thinking I can call myself anything I want
in America.

Then Americans often could not pronounce the name he/she was using so they
created one...or the immigrant created one or kept on saying his name until
someone said..yes, that's good we will call you....

Another American may have not understood either and so he called our
immigrant something else...

And so it might have been. No doubt there is a book or an article out there
on how names changed.

My own maternal grandfather, a Hungarian Immigrant with the surname of TEGYI
and no doubt a heavy Hungarian accent...perhaps no English at all....how
they bastardized that name.....deggy, dety and so on. Janos became John as
it is in English but try finding early records of this man.....

For my Italian in laws, Lucia....became Lucy and Lizzie...how or where you
get Lizzie from is beyond me. Lacavara became Acavara and in some cases
Belmont.

I do think they had identity crises.

Peace, love and laughter,

Elizabeth V. Cardinal

http://www.geocities.com/wellesley/garden/4548



"I know nothing. I have opinions on everything. I am human."

RESEARCHING: BELMONTE, LACOVARA, ONORATO, MARZELLA, MINCO, SAMPAGNA ...OF
BASILICATA.

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