Do you agree?

[Jules Levin]

On another list I belong to, dealing with genealogy, someone sent in the 
following question:

	My grandmother's 1912 passport shows that her father enlisted in the army
	(Polish or Russian) in the town of Meshanskoye.

One of the best researchers, and doubtless a native speaker of Polish and/or Russian, responding:

	There appear to be a bit of a confusion.
	Meshchanskoye identifies the social status of a "town dweller"in the Russian
	Empire, not a town name.  Word has originated from Polish "mieszczanin"

Aside from the etymology, what would have been the line on a passport that would get the adjective with a neuter ending?
My impression is that such questions would be answered by a noun--e.g., "meshchanin", etc., or if not, why not the masculine
adjective (or fem. for a woman)?
This is also intriguing because the neuter ending IS found with town names.

Comments?  Thoughts?

Jules Levin
Los Angeles



-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
                    http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------