Genealogy / Kapushka name - what is the meaning? [17]


Uhm, that's not a theory, that's a fact, and that's the way it was handed to me. The rest I have to piece together myself, and I think we have been discussing that it could be from somewhere in the Ukraine, no? I have also speculated about this previously on other other threads. Also, if the last name given to me is Kapushka, then there must be a reason that it is not Kabushka.

But, you are right, I do see the similarities, and it could have been changed upon arrival to the United States due to pronunciation or error. I think all clues are pointing me more and more towards the Ukraine.

Thanks for your help.

Genealogy / Kapushka name - what is the meaning? [17]

Hi Polonius. Thanks so much for your help as well. I was adopted, so I didn't grow up with my Eastern European ancestors. I did meet my biological mother though, and maintain a relationship with her. Unfortunately, it is long distance and she is 80, so she doesn't do computers. The only information she knows about their whereabout is what I've said here, which went like this: "from somewhere in the Carpathian Mountains," and last name was Kapushka.

I will try to meet the rest of her extended family this summer, and see if any of them know or remember information. I think according to the location, history, and her name, it makes sense that she would be Rusyn, and I guess there would be language overlap if it was in the Ukraine. But why the heck wouldn't the children know it?

Genealogy / Kapushka name - what is the meaning? [17]

oh and yeah - actually entertained the idea of the Rusyns or Ruthenians, and think this is very likely because a great many of them migrated to the U.S. I have also poured over pictures of these guys on a number of links on google; did you know Andy Warhol was also a Rusyn? I think at one point they were also called "Russian Poles," no? I think it may have been to differentiate themselves from the Ukrainians.

I didn't know about the babushka/head scarf connection; that somehow seems so much better than cabbage, lol - not that I've got anything against it!

edit: Somehow your links and my response got erased or removed so I'll repeat my comment here:

Thanks Shari, you're the bomb ;)

Genealogy / Kapushka name - what is the meaning? [17]

Yeah, I found that out recently as well. It's in the Far East, just below Siberia. Apparently, the Kamchatka region has great trout fishing - some of the best in the world, lol.

But, that's why I've been leaning toward the fact that her origins could have been in Russia via the Ukraine. But, if she was supposedly from the Trans-Carpathian region, how could she have ended up with the name Kapushka? I think the cabbage origin may be more likely, although less glamorous.

edit: But either way, I think it is most likely she was what many have termed a "Russian Pole." I have to do a bit more historical research to understand the full meaning of that term.

Genealogy / Kapushka name - what is the meaning? [17]

Thanks Polonius3. Every frickin' thing about me and my heritage is enigmatic - it is a never-ending headache. I thought once I found out certain identifers, things would get easier, but they just keep taking me further and futher away.

Is the Kapushka name more common in the Ukraine, in Russia, or among the Ruthenians?

Any one know? I will also try to find out somehow.

Thanks again.

*added: it is a bit of a mystery, because I was told that the maternal grandmother spoke Polish, and had a Polish accent. She obviously identified as Polish, so maybe she is part of the populations that could have lived in the Ukraine but identified as Polish politically and culturally ... I don't know. Did they have different last names? It seems that she could have been from a peasant family that farmed cabbage sometime in the late 19th Century and fled to the U.S.?

Don't know. All I have is a last name and photo packed away. I will try to visit that part of the family this summer and try to get more information.

Genealogy / Polish looks? [1462]

Hi Shari:

Thanks so much for your response. I have posted on this topic a few times on this board, and no one has ever bothered to comment, and when they did, only to tell me that I don't look Polish (except for one other poster). It is not really important to me to look one way or another, and I am just as proud of my Hungarian heritage, but I know that there is more than one Polish look.

I have a theory that my maternal grandmother may have been from the Ukraine when it was part of Poland, and may be Polish-Russian, but I would think that they would know. I am adopted and have met my birth mother, and I would think that she would know this if it were true. But, maybe they didn't think it was important because the grandmother identified as Polish and it has been lost through the generations. I have seen a picture of her and she definitely looks like someone who would have a typical East Slavic look.

Yes, I have naturally olive or tanned skin, but two of the pictures that you saw were taken in Southeast Asia, so I was especially tanned. However, my cheeks are also very rosy, and can blush deeply, which I have heard is a slavic feature and a Mongolian/Asian feature, but I don't know.

I am Eastern European on the maternal side, but also part Arawak Indian/Suriname/Dutch on the paternal side. You could also be seeing that aspect, but I know that I am a mix of both.

So, what is a Hungarian-shaped face? I always thought that I had one. Do you have any pictures of yourself that you can post?

I'm so glad to meet another poster who is part Polish and Hungarian!

Genealogy / Polish looks? [1462]


Hi Shari:

I am also part Hungarian and Polish, and people often can't place me. I have posted my pics and background on the previous page, post 411. You say that you look Hungarian; what does that mean? Can you place my looks?

Life / POLISH TEENAGERS TURN TO PROSTITUTION... [77]


No, not at all. Thailand has one of the biggest sex markets, both for domestic and foregin consumption; Brazil, Japan, East Africa and of course other Eastern European countries such as Russia, Ukraine, etc.

I think the common denominator is an abundance of beautiful women, limited consumption power, globalization, and a burgeoning market of foreign demand. Of course, Japan is an exception in that they have strong consumption power, but many of the world's women are trafficked or relocated to their local market. In the case of teenagers prostituting themselves for luxury products, they have the exact same problem.

Life / Polish stereotypes of other nationalities!? [472]


Yes, and that's true almost anywhere.


Thank goodness for Ikea. Quality on a budget. I can't wait to go to Sweden this summer - and Poland!

Life / Polish stereotypes of other nationalities!? [472]


There may be some truth to that. The rest of Scandinavia also thinks the Finns are weird, who are not Scandinavians but Finno-Ugrics. I have some insight into this because I have been doing research on Hungarians, who are Finno-Ugric and related to Finns, and are also a depressed bunch.

I think it may have something to do with Celiac Disease, which is prevalent in Finland. They can't digest grains well, and this wreaks havoc on multi-systems in the body, including neurologically.

medicinenet.com/celiac_disease/article.htm

"Celiac disease is common in European countries, particularly in Ireland, Italy, Sweden, and Austria. In Northern Ireland, for example, one in every 300 people has celiac disease. In Finland, the prevalence may be as high as one in every 100 persons."

So maybe the Poles are onto something there.

*edit: I don't mean to offend Finns in the slightest. I am also part Hungarian and a Celiac, so I view them as related.

Genealogy / What are common Polish character traits? [417]

What about physical traits? I guess that would be hijacking, though.

I think depression is genetic, or at least is debatable as such.

Genealogy / Red Hair - recessive gene from Poland? [108]


True, it is a different shade of hair color, but we are talking about origins and evolution of the first genes here. As for the origins of the red-haired gene, the jury is still out as to whether it originated from the Iranic tribes of the steppes or Neanderthals in Central Europe. But even going back as far as the Neanderthals, won't settle the argument of "purity."

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neanderthal

Modern human findings in Abrigo do Lagar Velho, Portugal of 24,500 years ago, allegedly featuring Neanderthal admixtures, have been published.[84]"

Genealogy / Red Hair - recessive gene from Poland? [108]


That's right. But, it wasn't only the Vikings who had red hair in the far north; some tribes out of Siberia on the western side of the Urals also had red hair. Red hair was also associated with Russian Jews early on in the very beginning of Kiev and Rus, going back to Kharzaria.


Except that the incidence of red hair in Eastern Europe was apparent way before the 17th Century, and developed independently of the Viking invasion as well. If red hair evolved due to a lack of Vitamin D, then it only follows and is actually supported that Siberian tribes independent of the Vikings also had this evolutionary gene. *(But, who knows if it was completely independent, because Siberian tribes in the far east never developed the same gene. But, they all have some degree of the eye fold to protect the eye from the glare of the sun). Due to various migrations out of the far north and into Central Asia and Eastern Europe, it is not a big surprise that red gene also naturally occurs to a lesser degree in Eastern Europe.

As for the Celtics tribes, it is my understanding that their settlements also originated in Eastern Europe somewhere around where the Czech Republic is now, until they migrated west, terrorized Gaul and crumbling Roman Empire for awhile, and crossed over. I have also met a few Czechs who have red hair.

I'll look for my links somewhere. I have them buried somewhere because I was conducting research on my own heritage from Eastern Europe and saved them.

*Edit:


Yeah, probably that too. Aren't there still places in England with Viking names?

Ok, here are some quick links and excerpts (I couldn't find my other links at the moment, but these will do):

khazaria.com/khazar-history.html
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Russia

Kievan Rus'

David Christian, A History of Russia, Central Asia and Mongolia, Blackwell Publishing, 1998, pp. 286-288. ISBN 0631208143.

geographia.com/russia/rushis02.htm
redheads.ie/Origins-Red-Hair.htm
viking.no/e/england/danelaw/index.html

Genealogy / The typical Polish look, or all Eastern Europeans [656]

Hey Softsong! Believe it or not, I was thinking about you today and hoping you'd show up. I have been doing a back check on old genealogy threads, and I saw your post with your photo and the background of your German/Polish ancestors.

You've done a lot of genealogy work, and I think I need your advice/help. I will PM you later. I have been on PF all day and need to go out!

Talk soon.

Genealogy / The typical Polish look, or all Eastern Europeans [656]


I didn't know this either. I have "blueish-grayish-greenish" eyes that change color as well.

Life / Why do people think that I'm Polish ? [92]


Check, check, check, check, and check. Five out of 6 isn't bad. I am not tall, and unfortunately not blessed with the pointy chin.

History / Polish hatred towards Jews... [1290]

A college generally awards 4 year degrees from different departments of one school, whereas a university is a unified collection of different colleges and schools that offer different degrees. You can get graduate degrees at a university all the way up to a doctorate, so there is also a difference in the type of research that is conducted between the two. In the U.S., college and university is used interchangeably as a casual description, but there are technical differences between the two.

History / Polish hatred towards Jews... [1290]


Yes, but most people don't know to what extent it wasn't just Jews. When you have upwards of half the population who perished that weren't Jews, there is a significant underrepresentation of this fact in most media and academic sources.

History / Polish hatred towards Jews... [1290]


I understand your point, HB, but there is another point. WE understand that three million Jews died, and that three million Poles and others died, but many people do not. It is mostly represented as 6 million Jews, and a few others.

Just my observation.

Genealogy / Are all Poles blue eyed and blonde? [451]


Denial.

Genealogy / Polish looks? [1462]

Yeah, but I don't know anymore. I have been trying to do research on my roots, but I really don't know where it is taking me. My maternal (Polish) grandmother's name: Kapushka, from somewhere near the Carpathian Mountains. My maternal grandfather's name was Bartok (Hungarian). I am speculating that the maternal grandmother could have been from what is now the Ukraine, based on her Russian last name, and how she looked (small, dark hair, small face with high cheekbones, small, deep set eyes, that I think were dark or light, or light brown (can't tell from the photo). I am speculating that maybe she was a Boyko Goral or Rusyn, but I don't know. If anyone has information on the name Kapushka in 19th Century Trans-Carpathians, it would be appreciated. I'm adopted, which is why this is like finding missing pieces of a jigsaw puzzle for me.

Anyway, here are a couple of photos of me:

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Genealogy / Polish looks? [1462]


That's funny, because I recognize myself in these descriptions as well. I have a fuller lower lip and almost no upper lip, except when I smile.

Genealogy / Are all Poles blue eyed and blonde? [451]


Yeah, I have been told by all kinds of people that I have an Asian eye shape, including Asians themselves. I think it comes from my Eastern European heritage, but whether from Poland or Hungary I don't know.

This thread is so incredbily helpful for me. I have medium brown hair and greenish-blueish-grayish eyes. My Polish grandmother had dark hair and light eyes.

Genealogy / Mongolian the Golden Horde - do Poles have Mongolian ancestry? [256]


Some indigenous Uralic people are part Asian or Eurasian to be exact. The indigenous tribes in Siberia on either side of the Urals will attest to this fact. The tribes farthest east look completely Asian and similar to Koreans, whereas the tribes in the center and on the western side looked typically Eurasian, and still do. The group that I think you are referring to in Northern Scandanavia are the Sami. I agree that many look mostly European but they also seem to have similar genetic markers as many other Finno-Ugrics, that display a link to other Eurasian Indigenous tribes and people from the other side of the Urals, such as Hungarians.

In terms of Poland, I am also one to believe that there is an Asian link, and I don't think it is as cut and dry as you present it here. As you said previously, history is filled with imprecisions and science is precise, but science can also be filled with both intentional and unintentional biases.

Genealogy / Mongolian the Golden Horde - do Poles have Mongolian ancestry? [256]

Yes, that is a beautiful sentiment Crazy Horse. I am always pure of heart, but it is important to me to understand fully who I am and where I came from.

Genealogy / Mongolian the Golden Horde - do Poles have Mongolian ancestry? [256]

Thanks DK1. I took a look at your website and the study looks quite extensive. I'm sure I will be on there lots. I don't know much about genetics and DNA studies, so I have some reading up to do.

Genealogy / Mongolian the Golden Horde - do Poles have Mongolian ancestry? [256]

Thanks DK1. I will take a closer and more thorough look as promised. I am part Hungarian and part Polish, so I guess my genetic mix would push me closer to the Russians. I understand what you are saying about history and the genetic samples, but that doesn't mean a scientific study is without bias. I still find it hard to believe, but I will explore it further.

*edit: By the way, people on this thread seem to know a lot about genetics and I want to have a DNA test. I am adopted, and it is important to me to know my full ethnic heritage. I am female, and want to know the full ancestry from both mother and father. I live in South Korea right now, so I need a test that can be available anywhere.

Any suggestions?

Genealogy / Mongolian the Golden Horde - do Poles have Mongolian ancestry? [256]

Thanks DK1. I haven't looked at it yet, but will do so at some point. One question:

If "on the intra-European graph Poles basically sit between Dresden and Moscow, but mixing more with the latter" and it is "the Russians who are relatively closest to the Asians from China and Japan", how can it be that "the Poles' affinity to the Asians is rather weak in comparison to that shown by most of the other European groups" if we are mixed more with Moscow?

I will attempt to answer my own question: Is it because Moscow is of a different history and mixture than St. Petersburg and Northern Russia? At any rate, given history, I personally find the conclusion that the "Poles affinity to the Asians is rather weak" when Russia's is strong rather weak itself.

Genealogy / Any Polish Tatars here? [95]

I am trying to do a bit of research on my background as well. I was adopted, so it is a bit more difficult. My birth mother is half Hungarian and Polish, and I've seen a picture of her mother who was very olive looking, and had dark, thick, wavy long hair when she was young, and dark small eyes.

I seem to have her eyes, but mine are light-coloured. I have a light olive color to my skin, and high blush coloring in my cheeks, which I hear is a Mongolian trait. I also have a "spot" or birth mark on my right shoulder, which I have heard is also a mark of Tatar blood.

Most of my birth mother's family looks European, but her brother has a dark look about him. She doesn't know much about her ancestors before they came to the States, but she seems to think they were from a village in the Carpathian Mountains.

Any information you have to direct me to research this would be helpful. I am going on very little information here. I will try to find out my grandmother's maiden name.

Does anyone know anything about this so-called spot of Tatar heritage?