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decipher last letter of my Dad's name
Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2021 2:28 pm
by SteveMiller
My family is preparing the gravestone for my Dad, and we have disagreement over what is the last letter of his 2nd name based on his chutubah (marriage license).
The first name is clearly יהושע. The question is the last letter of the 2nd name. Is it a qof or a final kaf?
So it is either פאלק or פאלך. His English name is "Paul".
It is written in modern Hebrew script.
I have attached the whole chutubah. There are 6 instances of his name. I have also extracted the 6 instances, but the list only allows me to attach 3 pictures max, so I just attached the first 2 extracts.
Is it פאלק or פאלך? Thanks
Re: decipher last letter of my Dad's name
Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2021 2:29 pm
by SteveMiller
Here are the remaining 3 extracts
Re: decipher last letter of my Dad's name
Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2021 3:07 pm
by Jason Hare
I'd assume that it's supposed to be פאלק (Falk). I don't think פאלך is a name.
Re: decipher last letter of my Dad's name
Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2021 5:37 pm
by Isaac Fried
פאלק is possibly the family name Polack common for people out of Poland.
Isaac Fried, Boston University
www.hebrewetymology.com
Re: decipher last letter of my Dad's name
Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2021 5:48 pm
by SteveMiller
Thanks Jason! Does Falk have a meaning?
Re: decipher last letter of my Dad's name
Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2021 6:52 pm
by Isaac Fried
Steve,
I see on the KTUBAH that his father's name is put as
ראובן לוי, meaning that he was a Levite. Since this title passes on to all sons, then
יהושע פאלק was also a Levite (and so are all his sons, etc.) and his full name should be engraved thus as
יהושע פאלק הלוי
according to tradition.
Isaac Fried, Boston University
www.hebrewetymology.com
Re: decipher last letter of my Dad's name
Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2021 2:38 pm
by Jason Hare
SteveMiller wrote: ↑Mon Jun 07, 2021 5:48 pm
Thanks Jason! Does Falk have a meaning?
German: from Middle High German valke ‘falcon’, hence a nickname or a metonymic occupational name for a falconer. Scandinavian: ornamental name from falk ‘falcon’. Jewish (Ashkenazic): ornamental name from German Falke ‘falcon’, or, in Bohemia, from Czech vlk ‘wolf’. Jewish (Ashkenazic): ornamental name from Yiddish falk ‘falcon’ or from the personal name Falk with the same meaning.
Source:
https://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=falk
Re: decipher last letter of my Dad's name
Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2021 3:38 pm
by SteveMiller
Thanks very much, Isaac and Jason!
Re: decipher last letter of my Dad's name
Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2021 11:27 am
by Isaac Fried
Steve,
The prevalence of the last name
פלק-ו-ביץ = פלקוביץ Falkowicz, where
ביץ is "vice" or "filius", namely, son, testifies to the fact that Falk is indeed a possible first name.
The common East-European last name Wilk means "wolf", and I allow myself to suspect that Falk is possibly but a variant thereof, and that Falk is the Hebrew name
זאב. We, indeed, find also the name
יהושע פלק זאב וולפסון
Isaac Fried, Boston University
www.hebrewetymology.com
Re: decipher last letter of my Dad's name
Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2021 6:42 pm
by SteveMiller
Thank you Isaac! Where did you find the name יהושע פלק זאב וולפסון? Also, I sent you a private message regarding my Dad being a Levite.