Hello folks,
Klaus Kunze wrote:
Luoise - Luise - Liese - Lieschen.
Because Luise [(in the origin from germanic name Ludwig (male)] does not
directly come from Ludwig. The german Ludwig has become to Louis in the
french form, and Louis (male) became Louise (french female name). In the
beginning of the 18. century Louise came from France to Germany, and now the
joke:
In the german feeling has there been no connection of the reimported word to
Ludwig. Louise sounds as Lisa or Liese,
and this has been common short-forms for Elisabeth. So people has not
noticed the in it's origin different etymology.
That Louise was imported from France is evident; for one of my ancestors
in Vlotho (born around 1755) the name was spelled "Lowise". There
exists even a diminutive for this: "Lowischen".
and now the
joke:
In the german feeling has there been no connection of the reimported word to
Ludwig. Louise sounds as Lisa or Liese,
and this has been common short-forms for Elisabeth. So people has not
noticed the in it's origin different etymology.
Yes, I knew about this popular ethymology. It might be more frequent in
Northern Germany but in the South, where I come from, the distinction
between Louise and Elisabeth was normal: Elisabeths would mostly be
Lisel/Liesel, and Luise had it's own diminutive "Luisl". The reason
could be that France wasn't far of and so the name was more familiar to
people.
There was a feminine form of Ludwig/Ludovic in German: Ludovica/Ludwika.
It was the given name of the emperess Sissi's own mother: Ludovica von
Bayern (Maria Wilhelmine Ludovica, born in 1808).
Boys in the 18th. and 19th century would sometimes be christened Ludwig
and be familiarly called Louis (ex. Heinrich Otto Ludwig Fuess
papermaker from Herzberg/Harz, called Louis Fuess). In Bavaria the boy's
name Ludwig was "Loys" already in Mediaeval times (thus creating another
popular ethymology by likening Loys to "der Loy" = der Leu, from Latin
leo = lion! Bavarian Elisabeths tend to become "Lisi/Lissy". Bavarian
"Loisl" however is derived from Alois(ius).
Have a nice week
Colette (Llorca)
www.llorca.ovh.org