LL-L "Names" 2009.07.31 (02) [EN]

[Lowlands-L List]

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L O W L A N D S - L - 31 July 2009 - Volume 02
lowlands at lowlands-l.net - http://lowlands-l.net/
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From: Pablo Degetau Sada <pdegetaus at HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: LL-L "Names" 2003.04.22 (04) [E]DEGETAU

Dear Jorge, Gabriele and Ron,

I’m making an investigation on Otto Degetau, uncle of Puerto Rico’s first
commissioner resident in Washington (Federico Degetau), and founder of the
family, which nowadays resides in Mexico. As far as I know, the Degetaus are
original of Holstein, in northern Germany (Altona, Elmshorn, etc.). At this
time, no family member containing the referred last name lives in Germany;
it simply died out. However, if you search the telephone directories, you
may find last names such as “Degetow” which look quite alike, and which are
from the same area where the Degetaus once used to live. Is it a
coincidence? Before reading your post, I thought that the last name might
had originated from a compound word, such as Dege(n): sword / tau (bright).
Is that as well feasible?
Jorge, if you may need any information in regards to Federico’s family in
Germany, I’d be happy to help you out. If anyone knows anything else on the
subject, I might as well be thankful.

Pablo Degetau

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

Hi, Pablo!

It' my pleasure to welcome you to Lowlands-L and it's vocal minority.  It's
always great to have someone from Mexico in the mix.

I see you dug up an old LL-L in which the name Degetau is mentioned:

http://tinyurl.com/may4b5
http://tinyurl.com/nfqdjl
http://tinyurl.com/mqqjvp

Interesting you mention the version Degetow, which is indeed represented in
Northern Germany, and only there:

http://www.verwandt.de/karten/absolut/degetow.html

When you get "German" names (personal or place names) from Eastern Holstein
and east of there chances are that they are of Slavic origin. In that case,
trying to etymologize them from a Germanic angle is a waste of time.

Pablo, many people, especially those outside Europe, are not aware of the
fact that just about the eastern half of what is now Germany (also areas in
Austria) used to be populated predominantly by people with West Slavic
language and culture. Most of those in Germany were Polabs and Sorbs, and
only some speakers of Sorbian remain in Lusatia, an area where Germany meets
Poland and the Czech Republic.

Polabs lived as far west as around the borders of Hamburg. In the early
days, some Polabian tribes (and also Viking tribes) periodically attacked
and sacked Hamburg which was used as a Christian stronghold to conquer Slavs
and Vikings and make them Christians. This started pretty much right after
Charlemagne and his Franks beat down the Saxons and forced them to become
Christians.

As you have your eyes wander across a map into Holstein, especially Eastern
Holstein, you find many place names that were originally Slavic, such as
Eutin (< Utin), Preetz (< Poretzie < Porecie), Mözen (< Mozinke < Mocinka),
Grömitz (< *Gromice) and Lübeck (< Lubice). Most places east of there used
to be Slavic, also some villages on the Danish island of Fyn. As Germanic
colonization progressed, Germanic-speaking settlements came to be built next
to Slavic ones, and eventually Slavic ones ended up "eaten up" by Germanic
ones. Germanic and Slavic cultures came to mix. Where Slavic culture
predominated (especially farther east), traces of it may still be found
nowadays, even though Slavic dialects became extinct and first Low Saxon and
finally German took over.

Especially since the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century, people from
surrounding areas and even quite far away moved to Hamburg in search of
work. Also, many went there to try their luck in seafaring. Furthermore,
lots and lots of Europeans, including East Europeans, emigrated to the
Americas and other overseas destinations via Hamburg. Some did not make it
onto ships and got stuck in Hamburg.

Interestingly, there seems to have been a tradition among the (Degetows >)
Degetaus to move to Latin America, particularly to Mexico and Puerto Rico,
where some of them became quite prominent members of society.

I don't know if you find this helpful at all, but at least I tried.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron
Seattle, USA

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