LL-L "Names" 2004.05.13 (08) [E]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 13.MAY.2004 (08) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: Ruth & Mark Dreyer <mrdreyer at lantic.net>
Subject: LL-L "Names" 2004.05.13 (02) [E]

Dear Ben & Reinhard.

Subject: Meaning of a name
"What's in a name? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet..."

    Meyer/Meier is one of those names open to many straightforward
interpretations from quite a few languages. To yours, Reinhard, I might add
one more 'lowbrow'. It might mean 'Harvester'. The word is no longer used in
Afrikaans, excepting in the poetic context - we would say 'stroop'. The only
'maaier' around in ordinary Afrikaans these days is a common grub, the first
stage of an insect; which - harvests, in its own devastating way...
    One would have to discover the historical origin of the assumption of
the Meier in question, for the actual meaning. & there might be many
different Meyer families, each with their own meaning & origin.

    I'm on better ground with the surname "Dreyer" ~ "Dreier", Reinhard.

>  Folks, am I right in assuming that it is (Lowlands) Saxon, the equivalent
of English "Turner"?
>(LS _drayen_(dreihen) 'to spin', 'to turn', cf. German _dreher_,
Yiddish_dray(e)n_)

    & I'm with you there, but I wouldn't pin it down to any language or
dialect. I know of  a Jewish family 'Dryer' that takes it back to a man who
was a turner, as on 'lathe'.
    In my case family history holds that our stamvader was a water-bailiff
in Schleswyk-Holstein, roundabout 1660. He 'turned' the watergates in the
furrows.
    Regards,
 Mark.

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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Names

Mark, Lowlanders,

>     One would have to discover the historical origin of the assumption of
> the Meier in question, for the actual meaning. & there might be many
> different Meyer families, each with their own meaning & origin.

Meier ~ Maier ~ Meyer ~ Mayer (plus variants with _-son_ and _-sohn_) can
also be a Germanized Ashkenazi Jewish name, derived from Me'ir, a Hebrew
male first name turned last name (probably via "ben Me'ir").  Germanization
has also led to the form Lichtmann ("light man"), based on the meaning of
Me'ir ("light/shining/bright one").

>     In my case family history holds that our stamvader was a water-bailiff
> in Schleswyk-Holstein, roundabout 1660. He 'turned' the watergates in the
> furrows.

Ah!  Thanks.  I've never heard about that origin.

But you do have a way with spelling names, don't you?  The name of this
northernmost and most multilingual German state comes in several forms, but
none of them matches yours: German "Schleswig-Holstein," Lowlands Saxon (Low
German) "Sleswig-Holsteen," "Sleswig-Hulsteen," "Sleswig-Holstein," Danish
"Slesvig-Holsten," not even mentioning the South Jutish and several North
Frisian versions.  Or is that the way you write it in Afrikaans?

Groete,
Reinhard/Ron
(so you finally dropped that "t," did you?)

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