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Mother's shtetl in Dankere (Gostini)

Replies: 15

Re: Etymology of family name GENCHEL

Amram Eshel (View posts)
Posted: 20 Sep 2001 6:03AM GMT
Classification: Query
Did you follow John Cakars’s advice to look up in the book A DICTIONARY OF JEWISH SURNAMES FROM THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE?

The author found the name in Dvinsk (Daugavpils), Latvia, in early 20th century.
Gostini is halfway between Riga and Daugavpils.

The letters CH are pronounced like in German (or KH in Russian or Scottish loch).

The origin is from Biblical Enoch, in Hebrew Hanoch or Hanokh.
Yiddish addition of diminutive L made it Hankhel, Henkh’l or Henkhl.
Russian has no H and regularly replaces it with a G: Genkhel.

Polish or German transliteration make it GENCHEL.

English speakers would pronounce it like Gentchel.



SubjectAuthorDate Posted
Howard33 31 Oct 2000 12:00PM GMT 
Howard33 9 Jun 2001 12:00PM GMT 
Amram Eshel 20 Sep 2001 12:03PM GMT 
Howard33 20 Sep 2001 3:26PM GMT 
Bill Apsit 9 Jun 2001 12:00PM GMT 
Howard33 9 Jun 2001 12:00PM GMT 
latvija 2 Nov 2000 12:00PM GMT 
Howard33 2 Nov 2000 12:00PM GMT 
Bill Apsit 9 Jun 2001 12:00PM GMT 
Howard33 10 Jun 2001 12:00PM GMT 
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