The German Element in Brazil Part 5

alG.o.dong for alG.o.do.

capong " capo, garrafong " garrafo, patakong " pataco.

questong " questo, sertong " serto, violong " violo.

2) The _'j'_ instead of remaining sonant as in Portuguese, becomes surd.[46] Thus

_Brazilian German._ _Portuguese._

feschong for feijo, schakare " jacare.

Schwong " Joo.

3) In the case of infinitives the final _'-n'_ is not sounded, particularly in sections influenced by the Hunsruck dialect. These forms are therefore p.r.o.nounced, e.g.,

_Brazilian German._ _Portuguese._

amoliere for amolieren.

kapine " kapinen.

pusche " puschen.

tocke " tocken.

SURNAMES.

As a general rule German family names are retained in their original form in all sections where the German language held its own among the colonists. This is especially true where such names offer no difficulty in their p.r.o.nunciation to people having Portuguese as their mother tongue. On the other hand, where such names could not be readily p.r.o.nounced by Luso-Brazilians,[47] they underwent changes to greater or less extent even in communities where the German element is most strongly represented. Where the German language disappeared the German family name as a rule disappeared with it, or was retained in such a form as to be hardly recognizable.

By way of example a number of modifications in surnames are noted below; first, from a section where the German language has almost entirely given way to Portuguese[48], and second, from one of the strongest German-speaking sections of Brazil.[49]

1)

Emmich became _M'_. The Portuguese could not p.r.o.nounce the "-ich" and consequently it dropped off, resulting in the formation of what is probably one of the shortest family names in existence.[50]

Felippoffsky became _Felippe, Franz,_ or _Franco_. In this instance one branch of the family adopted the first part of the original family name and other branches made surnames out of the Christian name of the first immigrant, i.e., Franz Felippoffsky.

Glaser became _Frittenmaku_. The first immigrant was Fritz Glaser. One of his characteristics was lameness. The new family name is equivalent in meaning to "der lahme Fritz."

Gottfried became _Gottesfried, Gottesfrid_ or _Gottesfritz_.

Helfenstein became _Helfestein_.

Hessel became _Essel_.

Klein became _Cleene_. In this instance a German dialect variant of the original became the new family name.

Reinberg became _Remberg_.

Rochenbach became _Roc.u.mbak_ or _Roc.u.mbaque_.

Roschel became _Rocha_.

Toll became _Doll_ or _Doro_.

Weisshaupt became _Sapateiro_. In this instance the first Weisshaupt was a shoemaker. The trade name translated into Portuguese became the family name.

Zullich became _Sills_.

2)

Wachter became _Walter_.

Werner became _Vierne_.

From the above examples it will be noticed that the new family names show, as a general rule, an adaptation of the original to Portuguese p.r.o.nunciation.

BAPTISMAL NAMES.

So far as baptismal names are concerned, the case is quite different from that applying to surnames. While the latter have been modified to a great extent only where the German language gave way to the Portuguese almost entirely, as stated, the former have been replaced by their Portuguese counterparts, as a rule, in all parts of Brazil.[51] Probably the chief reason for this is sentiment, or, to use what is in this case perhaps a more accurate term, patriotism. The Portuguese Christian name in the country in question distinguishes the individual as a Brazilian, not as a German. The people under discussion regard themselves first of all as Brazilians.[52] While, according to their idea the retention and cultivation of their "Deutschthum" makes them better and more valuable Brazilian citizens, they carefully differentiate between "Deutschthum"

and (to use their own expression) "Deutschlanderthum."

The following are examples of Portuguese baptismal names which are commonly subst.i.tuted for their German counterparts by Brazilian Germans.

_Portuguese form._ _German form._

Adolfo for Adolf.

Alberto " Albert.

Augusto " August.

Bernardo " Bernard.

Carlos " Karl.

Edmundo " Edmund.

Eduardo " Eduard.

Emilio " Emil.

Ernesto " Ernst.

Estevo " Stephan.

Ewaldo " Ewald.

Francisco " Franz.

Frederico " Friedrich.

Germano " Hermann.

Guilhermo " Wilhelm.

Gustavo " Gustav.

Henrique " Heinrich.

Ignacio " Ignaz.

Joo " Johann.

Jorge " Georg.

Jose " Joseph.

Julio " Julius.

Leopoldo " Leopold.

Luiz " Ludwig.

Maximiliano " Maximilian Paulo " Paul.

Pedro " Peter.