Re: Yiddish on List

[the Cheshire Cat <alanacat...>]

On Mon, 2 Mar 1998, Alex Jacobowitz wrote:

> B"H Munich
> 
> Dear Alana,
> 
> Suskin is Yiddish.
> 
> It comes from two German words, "suess" and "kind."
> 
> It means "sweet child."

I know that these words translate this way - but actually Suskin is NOT
Yiddish - it's Russian, it's a matronymic, and comes from the name
Shoshana (Shosh-kin - the -in ending is indicative of a matronymic.
Several other branches of the family have similar such -such as the Rfkins
-from Rivka) Matronymics are actually quite common among Jewish families,
particualrly i areas where Jewish marraiges were not recognized because
they were not part of the church. In those areas the children were gien
the mother's name, and so it was common for the husband to take that name
as well.
Thanks for the thought. (And it never hurts)

Alana