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Archiver > LITHUANIA > 2003-06 > 1054835955


From: David Zincavage <>
Subject: [LITHUANIA-L] Fw: Lithuanian Onomastics
Date: Thu, 05 Jun 2003 10:59:22 -0700


----- Original Message -----
From: "Leon Stevens" <>
To: "David Zincavage" <>; <>
Sent: Thursday, June 05, 2003 9:48 AM
Subject: RE: Lithuanian Onomastics


> very mighty <

Prior to Horodlo, Lithuanian didn't officially distinguish between
nobles and peasants any more than Americans do today, in spite of the
fact that in both cases there was a defacto aristocracy owing to the
fact that certain individuals succeeded in accumulating wealth and
power. The meanings of surnames have nothing to do with social class.
There are thousands of people of peasant stock named "krol" ("king") for
example, while many nobles selected humiliating nick-names ("przydomki")
for themselves, such as "Kapusta" ("cabbage") or "Kiszka" ("blood
sausage"). The old Slavic two-part name "Stanislaw" meaning "Glory will
prevail" is used by noble and serf alike, whether or not the individual
is in fact glorious.


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