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My Smialek name problem is no more.

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My Smialek name problem is no more.

Posted: 11 Jul 2003 5:40PM GMT
Classification: Query
Edited: 13 Dec 2004 9:05AM GMT
Surnames: Smialek, Winnicki
A wonderful Polish man did some explaining to me. Now I know that my grandmother's maiden name was Smialek. What he explained to me is as follows. Perhaps this will help others in their name search in another country and not just Poland. In my case my grandmother is listed as Smialk, Maria in the Polish newspaper under marriage certificates.

"In Polish names are declined and changed depending of the sex, marriage etc.

So if a man´s name is Smialek, his wife is called Smialkowa (...owa is the feminine ending like "Mrs.". The "e" disappears).

If they have a daughter, she is called Smialkówna (...ówna like "Miss"). (The genetive f.e. would be Smialkówny a.s.o.).

(If the name ends with an "g" it´s completely different!! Than the Miss is ...rzanka and not ...gówna ).

The same is in Checoslovakia. Maybe you remember the US-Tennis-Champion Martina Navratilova. (Her husband´s (or father´s) name had been Navratil).

You see, it´s almost impossible for a foreigner to find out the right name."

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