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Help[Surname] Wittgenstein
Does "Wittgenstein" mean "stone of the clever white haired person" or "stone of the knowledgeable pale skinned person" or "the skilled albino's stone" or something along this line?
In Quora I have found someone with a master's degree in linguistics so called Janne Pohl claiming that it "comes from Wittgenstein in western Germany and that it was first documented as “Widenkindigstein” in 1187".
From what he said I checked "widen" which was hard to find a meaning of (as google confuses it with "make wider") but I didt get it means someone with either white hair or plain complexion, kindig was easier to translate, I found it meant clever or knowledgeable or skilled, and I already knew stein meant stone.
Can anyone confirm my research one way or another please?
In Quora I have found someone with a master's degree in linguistics so called Janne Pohl claiming that it "comes from Wittgenstein in western Germany and that it was first documented as “Widenkindigstein” in 1187".
From what he said I checked "widen" which was hard to find a meaning of (as google confuses it with "make wider") but I didt get it means someone with either white hair or plain complexion, kindig was easier to translate, I found it meant clever or knowledgeable or skilled, and I already knew stein meant stone.
Can anyone confirm my research one way or another please?
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Replies
Naw,
This is too far fetched in etymology, an the First part is also implausible.
One hast to analyse the Name in several layers:
First IT IS a Family Name derived with Zero derivation from the place Name Wittgenstein.
Second, the place Name has as its second element the word Stein, but Not in its literal meaning Stone but denoting a Castle there .
Now we come to the first element of the place Name and in this Case its IS probably a given Name like Witiko or Witege, see the given Name Site for the rather fancy explanation of These names.
Elbowin
PS. Sorry for the random Kapitals al around.
Edit: i overlooked the oldest attested Name of rhe place. Widukind (Wedekind) is a different given Name borrne by a famous Saxon King.
This is too far fetched in etymology, an the First part is also implausible.
One hast to analyse the Name in several layers:
First IT IS a Family Name derived with Zero derivation from the place Name Wittgenstein.
Second, the place Name has as its second element the word Stein, but Not in its literal meaning Stone but denoting a Castle there .
Now we come to the first element of the place Name and in this Case its IS probably a given Name like Witiko or Witege, see the given Name Site for the rather fancy explanation of These names.
Elbowin
PS. Sorry for the random Kapitals al around.
Edit: i overlooked the oldest attested Name of rhe place. Widukind (Wedekind) is a different given Name borrne by a famous Saxon King.
This message was edited 6/1/2024, 5:02 AM
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Thanks! that solves it then I guess :D
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