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The name 'Janowsky'??


AniolRawien 1 | 1  
12 Apr 2008 /  #1
No one in my family will tell me much more than "You're German and Prussian." I looked into Prussia and it used to cover a large area... so there are many possibilities there... or perhaps my family is just insane.

My boyfriend and his family are 100% Polish... they all seem to think my last name 'Janowsky' is Polish... they love me to death as it is so it wouldn't change anything if I am or not... but is it just wishfull thinking on their part? Or could I possibly be a little Polish?
z_darius 14 | 3,964  
12 Apr 2008 /  #2
Or could I possibly be a little Polish?

If that name is not Polish then I dunno which is.
The 'y' ending in Janowsky (which was often changed from 'i' for new immigrants) was also present in some older (pre-19th century) versions of Polish spelling.
Polonius3 993 | 12,357  
12 Apr 2008 /  #3
Janowsky could be most anything. The typical Polish spelling is Janowski, Czechs, Slovaks and Jews would spell it Janovsky, Germans would more likely than not use the Janowsky spelling. Ukrainians, Belarussians and Great Russians might also use the Czecho-Slovak-style Janovsky spelling in English-speaking counrties, unless they more correctly transcirbed the Cyrillic Яновский into Yanovsky. This originated as a toponymic nickname to indicate an inhabitant of Janów, Janowo, Янов, Яновo or some such locality in the Slavonic world. An indigineously Gemran locality would be called something like Johanneswald, Hansdorf or something along those lines. The Jan- root is definiteły West Slavonic (POlish, CZehxc, Slovak) in origin.
OP AniolRawien 1 | 1  
12 Apr 2008 /  #4
Well thanks. I'm a little less confused now. Can't wait to show my boyfriend what you two have said. Thanks again! ^.^
Polonius3 993 | 12,357  
13 Apr 2008 /  #5
I failed to mention that localities such as Janów, Janowo, Янов or Яновo would in accordance with Anglo-Saxon place-naming custom be roughly translatabłe as Johnstown, Johnville, Johnnywood, Johnshire, etc.

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