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ArchivesSome Western Yiddish names: Mate and Elkel
I came across the Jewish woman Glückel of Hameln known for her autobiographic notes. Two of her sisters were named Mate and Elkel, and I want to know the etymology of these two names. The background is Ashkenazic Judaism, the time is 17th century.
The names aren't yet in the database.
The names aren't yet in the database.
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Replies
An Ashkenazi Jew with an interest in the Yiddish language and Medieval Yiddish names here
Elkel appears to be a pet form of Elke an Ashkenazic form of Elkena or a German form pet form of Adelheid
(I doubt that Elke is of Hebrew origin because "-ke" is a German and Yiddish suffix appearing only across Ashkenazi communities additionally this website sometimes lists Yiddish names as Hebrew and vice versa)(this article details Yiddish diminutive suffixes https://encyclopedia.yivo.org/article/2126)
it was common towards the 17th century to adopt German vernacular forms of German origin
El is a common suffix for upper German diminutives that is used still to this day in Ashkenazic Jewish communities
(All of the below my individual speculations)
The origin of the name Mate is uncertain, but it's possible that, like many names, it was common for Jews to adopt German diminutives and use them as pet forms for similar-sounding Hebrew or Jewish names. For example, the name "Marx" was originally a diminutive of "Marcus" but also a Medieval Jewish form of Mordechai.
Mate can be therefore equated with the Dutch: https://www.behindthename.com/name/mietje/submitted or an Ashkenazic borrowing of https://www.behindthename.com/name/metta/submitted or a pet form of Malke but I doubt any of these options can apply here.
The last option that makes sense to me is Mate being a female diminutive of Mattan or simply a gentile name
Elkel appears to be a pet form of Elke an Ashkenazic form of Elkena or a German form pet form of Adelheid
(I doubt that Elke is of Hebrew origin because "-ke" is a German and Yiddish suffix appearing only across Ashkenazi communities additionally this website sometimes lists Yiddish names as Hebrew and vice versa)(this article details Yiddish diminutive suffixes https://encyclopedia.yivo.org/article/2126)
it was common towards the 17th century to adopt German vernacular forms of German origin
El is a common suffix for upper German diminutives that is used still to this day in Ashkenazic Jewish communities
(All of the below my individual speculations)
The origin of the name Mate is uncertain, but it's possible that, like many names, it was common for Jews to adopt German diminutives and use them as pet forms for similar-sounding Hebrew or Jewish names. For example, the name "Marx" was originally a diminutive of "Marcus" but also a Medieval Jewish form of Mordechai.
Mate can be therefore equated with the Dutch: https://www.behindthename.com/name/mietje/submitted or an Ashkenazic borrowing of https://www.behindthename.com/name/metta/submitted or a pet form of Malke but I doubt any of these options can apply here.
The last option that makes sense to me is Mate being a female diminutive of Mattan or simply a gentile name
This message was edited 10/15/2024, 9:19 AM
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also, something I forgot to ask, what are "Western Yiddish names" what region are they? I have a collection of literature about Yiddish names of various regions.
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Important places in the life of Glückel were Hamburg, Hameln (Northern Germany) and Metz (at that time still Southwest Germany, now East France). The places are listed in chronological order of her lifetime.
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I found a few more books but not specifically about this region
The Name and Its History: Jewish Naming Patterns in Germany
Historical Dictionary of the Jews in Germany
A Dictionary of Jewish Given Names: Origins and Meanings
The Name and Its History: Jewish Naming Patterns in Germany
Historical Dictionary of the Jews in Germany
A Dictionary of Jewish Given Names: Origins and Meanings
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some books that might have the information you need about these names:
https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783111699509-011/html?lang=en
The Language of Names Jewish Onomastics (it's a very well-researched book that has examples of Ashkenazic names throughout the medieval period)
https://www.s-gabriel.org/names/juetta/biblio.html#germany (it references different books that can be used for Jewish name research in the Ashkenaz region)
https://www.nli.org.il/en/books/NNL_ALEPH990050389480205171/NLI
Namen der Juden (a great research paper which discusses Ashkenazic names in Germany)
https://www.s-gabriel.org/names/eleazar/nurnburg.pdf
A Dictionary of Ashkenazic Given Names - Their Origins, Structure, Pronunciation, and Migrations (My personal favorite and recommendation, this book discusses the history of Ashkenazic names throughout history, including certain prefixes, and the evolution of Ashkenazic names throughout the years in different regions of Europe but mainly discusses names of Yiddish origin.)
https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783111699509-011/html?lang=en
The Language of Names Jewish Onomastics (it's a very well-researched book that has examples of Ashkenazic names throughout the medieval period)
https://www.s-gabriel.org/names/juetta/biblio.html#germany (it references different books that can be used for Jewish name research in the Ashkenaz region)
https://www.nli.org.il/en/books/NNL_ALEPH990050389480205171/NLI
Namen der Juden (a great research paper which discusses Ashkenazic names in Germany)
https://www.s-gabriel.org/names/eleazar/nurnburg.pdf
A Dictionary of Ashkenazic Given Names - Their Origins, Structure, Pronunciation, and Migrations (My personal favorite and recommendation, this book discusses the history of Ashkenazic names throughout history, including certain prefixes, and the evolution of Ashkenazic names throughout the years in different regions of Europe but mainly discusses names of Yiddish origin.)
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Since -el/-l is a common diminutive suffix in Yiddish (Feivel, Hendel, Koppel, Motl, Yentl, etc.), Elkel could be a diminutive of Elka or Elke. Elke is described as a Yiddish name in this sourced Wikipedia article (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elke), a feminine form of Elkanah (which is already in the database as Elke(2); it is also a German name, so this theory seems plausible).
Both Elkel and Mate appear in this list (https://www.avotaynu.com/books/dagnindex.htm). As for Mate, I don't have a theory for its etymology, but Mata, Matel and Matke appear in said list as well.
Both Elkel and Mate appear in this list (https://www.avotaynu.com/books/dagnindex.htm). As for Mate, I don't have a theory for its etymology, but Mata, Matel and Matke appear in said list as well.
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Thanks for the explanation of Elkel and the link to the list of Ashkenazic given names. The book from which the name list is taken is probably worth having, the public sample entry on Yente looks very solid and well-researched.
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