Chat
|
Daily Search
|
My GenForum
|
Community Standards
|
Terms of Service
|
|
|
The Slovenian abbreviation “p.d.” represents the phrase “po domače”. There is no English equivalent for this phrase. Literally, it means simply “at home”. However it speaks volumes; it implies a knowledge of Slovenian history, traditions and customs, particularly of rural areas.
“Po domače” is always followed by a name. This is the historical name of a house. Each house in a rural village had a name; unlike historical-conscious Anglo-Saxons, the origin of the name of Slovenian houses is usually too ancient to trace.
Traditionally, ownership of the family property was passed on from generation to generation to an eldest son. A large family was the norm, and when they children grew up, after marriage they tended to remain in the area. Thus, if a Slovenian asked you where you were from (in the sense of where you were born), you would reply with the name of the house, NOT your surname. There were probably dozens of identical surnames in a region, but only a unique house name. By giving the house name, the locals knew not only the exact location of your origin, but even your surname.
In the first example above, Mr. Govek came from the Brjak House in the village of Trnovec. In today’s world, this was tantamount to revealing not only your house number, but also your ancestry.
Notify Administrator about this message?
Followups:
|
| http://genforum.genealogy.com/slovenia/messages/3599.html | ||
 |
Link to GenForum Add Forum |
|