Bartel (also found spelled as Barthel) is a short form of Bartholomeus - not a diminutive. It arose in the medieval period from the many alternate spellings of Bartholomeus, such as: Bart(h)elemeus, Bart(h)elomeus, Bart(h)elmeus, etc.If Bartel were a diminutive, the name would have contained one of the Dutch diminutive suffixes, namely -ke and -tje (resulting in respectively Bartelke and Barteltje).It's understandable that the name is mistaken for a diminutive, though... what with -el and -l being used for diminutives in German. But that's German - we don't do that with names in Dutch.Also see: • Bartel: https://nvb.meertens.knaw.nl/verklaring/naam/Bartel (in Dutch) • Barthel: https://nvb.meertens.knaw.nl/verklaring/naam/Barthel (in Dutch; "Verkorting van Bartholemeus.") • -ke: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/-ke#Dutch (in English) • -tje: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/-tje (in English) • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_diminutives_by_language#Dutch (in English) [noted -ed]
If Bartel were a diminutive, the name would have contained one of the Dutch diminutive suffixes, namely -ke and -tje (resulting in respectively Bartelke and Barteltje).
It's understandable that the name is mistaken for a diminutive, though... what with -el and -l being used for diminutives in German. But that's German - we don't do that with names in Dutch.
Also see:
• Bartel: https://nvb.meertens.knaw.nl/verklaring/naam/Bartel (in Dutch)
• Barthel: https://nvb.meertens.knaw.nl/verklaring/naam/Barthel (in Dutch; "Verkorting van Bartholemeus.")
• -ke: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/-ke#Dutch (in English)
• -tje: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/-tje (in English)
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_diminutives_by_language#Dutch (in English) [noted -ed]