Help w/ old German spellings
@Ulrich Neitzel ... I am currently researching Schmidt ancestors. In the 1780s Taufen record for Vandsburg, there appears to be some strange spellings of names that I need your advice on.
In the attached partial page, the 2nd entry for 1781 seems to list Peter Szmÿt (Schmidt).
The next entry seems to list Christian Sztefer (Steffer).
The 1st entry for 1784 seems to list a godparents' last name of Szylka (Schilke).
On other pages, I've seen "Szauer" for "Schauer", "Szulz" for "Schulz", "Szerbart" for "Scherbart".
Did scribes use "Sz" for "Sch"?
Did they also use "y" or "ÿ" for "i"?
答え
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This type of spelling is new to me as well. I understand that Vandsburg was situated in West Prussia, correct? This was the the border area between the German and Polish language. As far as I know the sound that is indicated "sch" in German by is written as "sz" in Polish; the same is valid for "i" and "y". So it seems that (some of) the German names in this register were written in Polish spelling, for what reason ever.
By the way: Is this really an original listing from 1784? The general form of the handwriting looks much more modern to me. Or is it a copy from newer times?
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