We are looking to start a gathering point for families from Slovinky,
Slovakia.
My family data consists of information gleaned for four family lines in the
Slovinky church Matriky. I know the surnames of most of the families in
that town since about 1752 to 1929. I have xeroxed birth and marriage
records for intervals in the early 1800's so I can look for specific persons
in that time window.
Slovinky was a Carpatho-Rusyn village just over the mountain from
Porac. The Kranyak, Litska, Stecz, Uhrin, Olsavsky,
Kovalchik, and other families had members living in both villages.
We now have two CD's by Slovinka zo Sloviniek with
the traditional folk music of Slovinky available.
The town of Slovinky goes by that single name only in recent times. From
the 1750's to at least 1930 Slovinky consisted to two locations about a
mile apart. Upper Slovinky lay at the head of the valley extending up to
the SW from Krompachy. The Slovinky River flows to the NE in that valley
and gives it its name, Dolina Slovinka. The copper mines that were
worked by the inhabitants of Upper Slovinky were on both sides of the
river at the SW end of town.
Lower Slovinky lay about a mile downstream of Upper Slovinky. The
inhabitants of Lower Slovinky mainly were farmers, but a few were miners
too. More miners lived in Upper Slovinky.
The two towns were named Felso (Upper) Slovinky and Also ( Lower)
Slovinky during the time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (ca 1620 to CA
1920) when the Hungarian language was used.
The name of Upper and Lower Slovinky became Felso Szalank and Also
Szalank in 1907. They are shown that way on the Austro-Hungarian
Military Map of the region that was used to the end of WW I. The
Hungarian names for the Slovinkys appear in the death records in the
Slovinky Greek Catholic Church Matriky from 1907 to 1918 (the end of the
death records on microfilm). It seems to have been the doing of
Hungarian officials.
After World War I the Slovak
spellings were adopted: Visne Slovinky and Nisne Slovinky (there are
hacheks over the s in each) for Upper and Lower Slovinky. These names
are found in the records of the Slovinky Greek Catholic Church (on LDS
microfilms 1791524, 25, 26 &27).
The first names of persons listed in the Church records are given in a
latinized form at first. Later when priests were required to keep their
records in Hungarian the names appear in Hungarian. After liberation
from the Hungarians, Slovak forms of the names appear.
Here are some examples one can encounter:
Occasionally an"i" is substituted for a "y" in both first names and
surnames. Spelling was often at the discretion of the Priest writing the
records.
The Hungarian entries in the Matriky (root of english word, "matriculate)
can be pronounced using the following rules:
All other letters pronounced as in english.
Perhaps someone could provide a similar pronouncer for Slovak as well.
Units of time in Hungarian might not be familiar to most persons just
starting out research in the Slovinky Matriky. Here is what you will
find in death records and, to a lesser extent, in marriage records
between 1844 & 1851 and between 1887 & 1918:
I am not entirely sure about the word for hour. One spelling seems to be
ovangelt. Maybe someone can provide the correct spelling.
Here is a partial list of surnames that I extracted from the Matriky of
the Greek Catholic Church in Slovinky. These are most of the names
related in some way to the four families that I am researching:
VESELENAK, PATSAN, ZMIJ AND BRUTOVSKY.
I will add to the list as my research continues.
I think it would be useful to generate a Latin - Hungarian - Slovak -
English (and maybe German) lexicon of terms and phrases found in the church
records (Matriky) in eastern Slovakia. I have a few items to contribute
there. For example in early entries the dates are given as a number (with
grammatical ending) for the day and recognizable names of months from Jan
to Aug but then the number 7 (with ending) for September, 8 for October,
9 for November and 10 for December. Actually it all makes sense but it
was confusing when I first encountered it.
From the 1820's on, the cause of death is listed in the death records of Slovinky.
The names of the diseases are in Latin initially, then in Hungarian. I
could figure out that cholera is just that, morbilli is measles, phtysis
is tuberculosis, variola is smallpox, but the rest are not certain to
me: tussis for whooping cough?, hydrops for rabies?, febris is fever but
what is febris nervosa? - nervous fever?
Then there's diffantheria and disentheria with seemingly obvious
translations but how about hectica, phrensis, cathar, tumor and
apopletia? I think the last two are pneumonia and stroke.
I have a Hungarian dictionary and I have hacked out some translations
of disease names listed in the Matriky from Slovinky. I cannot vouch
for the accuracy of these -- they are my best guess. Many of these are
spelled with diacritical marks over the vowels. These marks are omitted
here.
If anyone wants to E-mail their translations or add new words, I'll
maintain a list that can be posted periodically. This is what we have
so far:
The marginal notes & comments in the Matriky can be perplexing. I am not
a Latin scholar so I must ignore a lot of it, but I am sure there are
important data there. For example, exactly how is the term alias
(abbreviated al) to be translated? I mean, which is the real name and
which is the alias in: Mike Vorbely al Hudak? How would that be
expressed in Hungarian? What does the use of this structure imply? An
adoption?, a self-assumed nom de plume or a strongly persistent local
nickname?
Regarding the question of an alias or a double surname one finds in the
church records:
This quote from "In search of your European roots" by
Angus Baxter published in Baltimore (1988) might provide an explanation
"the surname would be changed if the father changed farms, and if he
inherited a farm through his wife he could change his name to hers. It
was all very complicated, but such changes are usually recorded in the
matriky by hypenating the names together (the family and any other) or
by the use of the word 'kdysi" or "vulga," which roughly translated means
"also known as." (not to mention "alias" or "al")
At times, the surname of the wife would be added to the surname of the
husband if there were no descendents on the wife's side to carry on her
family surname. A friend of mine who is a Byzantine Catholic priest told
this to me while I was doing some research.
This information was forwarded to us by Nicholas Patchan.
From 1880 to 1900 nearly 40 % of the male population of Slovinky
emigrated to the USA and settled in and around three towns in Guernsey
County Ohio to work in the newly opened coal mines. The towns were
Pleasant City, Byesville and Trail Run.
The exodus, impact and aftermath of that massive migration is chronicled
in a 603-page book by Dr. Lorle Porter, Professor of Medieval History at
Muskingum College. The book has an extensive surname index listing
families for which information was provided by respondents to Dr Porter's
research. The book is illustrated by pertinent maps and many
photographs.
This book may be obtained by sending a check for $29.00 to:
Dr. Lorle Porter, Muskingum College, New Concord Ohio 43762.
Julianna Romanova and Pavel Bencko-Maras wrote a cookbook based on old
Slovinky recipes from Maria Benacko's kitchen (their grandmother) in
Slovinky about 1900. Their parents came from Slovinky about 1910.
A 137 page Slovak/Rusin cook book entitled "Slovenske Jedlo and
Pennsylvania Slovak Soul Food" ( In English with Slovak titles) by
Julianna Romanova and Pavel Bencko-Maras is available for $11.00. These
recipies are based on recipes originally from Grandma Maria Bencko's
kitchen in Slovinky, Slovakia with later additions by our mother in the
Pennsylvania mining towns. Please send check to: Morris publishers, 99
State Rt 149, Lake George, NY. For more information visit the
Slovak Book Shop.
Here is a list of other maps of Slovakia that show the location of
Slovinky.
The LDS FHC can provide a fiche of a map of the old Austro-Hungarian
Empire at a scale of 1:75000. Most of Slovakia on fiches No. 6000227
through 6000255. Each fiche has 6 map sheets on it. The index to all
the maps is on fiche 6000198. The name of the map is:
Militar Landesaufnahme und Special Karte de Ostereichisch-Ungarischen
Monarchie 1879 -1928
The maps are named according to the largest town in each quadrangle.
Slovinky is on the Iglo quadrangle. The maps show topography as an
elaborately drafted scheme of hachures and reference contour lines.
Individual houses, churches, mines and the elevation (in meters) of
prominent peaks are among the wealth of information on these maps.
Perhaps the most valuable aspect of this map is the naming of most towns
in their Slovak, Hungarian and Austrian or German equivalents. This is
quite valuable for folks trying to find the birthplace of their great
grandfather with only the anecdotal information that he was from Also
Szalank (actually this is Lower Slovinky), for example. That old
Hungarian name just doesn't appear on maps today.
A contemporary road map of Slovakia (with an Index) that is quite
detailed was published 8/93 by Kartografische Anstalt Freytag & Berndt u.
Artaria 1071 Wien. It is at a scale of 1:50000. Topography
is shown by gray shading. It costs about $9.00 from travel stores.
A 2-page map of Slovakia Published by the Carpatho-Rusyn
Research Center, Box 131-B Orwell VT 05760 for $14.25.
A 3 ft by 5 ft map of Slovakia (Scale 1:360000) was published by the
Slovak Institute at St Andrews Abbey 10510 Buckeye Road
Cleveland Ohio 44104. Only major roads and rivers are shown besides the
location and names of towns.
More later
William Anikouchine - email - wanik@juno.com
Latin Hungarian Slovak
Maria Maria Maria
Anna Anna Anna
Elisabetha Erzebet Elizabetha
Alzbeta
Catharina Katalin Catherina
Katarina
Andreas Endre Andras
Andrej
Stephanus Ystvan Stephan
Stefan
Michael Michaly Michael
Michal
Nicolaus Miklos Nicolai
Mikolai
Joannes Janos Jan
Helena Ilona Helena
Georgius Gyorgy George
Juraj
Mathias Matyas Matyas
Matej
Petrus Peter Petro
Josephus Josef Joseph
Jozef
Hungarian English
c & cz ts (in pits)
cs ch (in church)
zs zh (g in rouge)
sz s (in so)
s sh (in shop)
ly l (in pavilion)
j y (in yes)
gy dg (in edge)
ny n (first n in onion)
ds & dzs j (in jug)
a aw (a in raw)
a' ay (in pay)
e a (in hat)
e' a (in ate)
i i (in sin)
i' ee (in peek)
o o (in cow)
o' o (in go)
o with 2 dots er
o with " err (trilled)
u u (in bull)
u' u (in rule)
u with either
.. or " over it (like German u with umlaut)
or u (in beautiful)
Hungarian English
eves years
honap month
hetes weeks
napas days
ovatalt hour
Note that I have included several spellings of some names to reflect how
they actually appear in the Matriky.
OCCURRENCES
SURNAME MEN WOMEN TOTAL
Andrejkovics 1 4 5
Andrykovich 1 5 6
Andrykovics 0 1 1
Babjarcsik 0 1 1
Bacsa 0 1 1
Bakos 1 1 2
Banas 0 1 1
Bancko 1 0 1
Barbusa 0 2 2
Baricsko 2 1 3
Belinszky 1 0 1
Belinszy 2 1 3
Bencko 17 3 20
Benckova 0 3 3
Bencsko 2 4 6
Benyo 1 0 1
Bobovich 2 1 3
Bondur 0 1 1
Bonjas 0 1 1
Bonyko 1 0 1
Bosak 2 0 2
Brutovsky 72 56 128
Bryant 1 0 1
Burcsak 0 1 1
Butvin 0 1 1
Cernak 2 0 2
Cernakova 0 2 2
Csipkar 1 2 3
Csornik 1 0 1
Csumik 0 1 1
Dejmut 1 0 1
Dejmuth 0 1 1
Dolny 4 6 10
Dorko 11 4 15
Dorko-(Masek?) 0 1 1
Dorkova 0 3 3
Dorosh 1 1 2
Duda 3 1 4
Dudas 2 6 8
Dufala 0 2 2
Dulin 1 6 7
Duncan 0 1 1
Dusbatsky 1 1 2
Dyskova 0 1 1
Dzoza 0 1 1
Dzundza 0 1 1
Dzurenkova 0 1 1
Fabritska 1 1 2
Fajfer 0 1 1
Falatas 1 1 2
Fender 1 1 2
Ferencz 4 5 9
Frantz 1 1 2
Gondza 0 1 1
Gondzko 0 1 1
Gonga 2 0 2
Grabany 4 4 8
Grisak 14 11 25
Gyorko 3 4 7
Hachovsky 0 2 2
Hacsavsky 0 1 1
Hadbavny 0 1 1
Halcsin 2 0 2
Hodermarsky 3 0 3
Homolos 1 0 1
Homulos 0 1 1
Horvath 1 0 1
Horvathova 0 2 2
Hrudka 1 1 2
Hudak 7 11 18
Hudakova 0 1 1
Hvisdos 2 2 4
Ivantso 19 19 38
Jabloncikova 0 1 1
Jakubyansky 0 1 1
Janosik 9 2 11
Janovsky 0 1 1
Janycos 1 1 2
Jaradny 1 1 2
Jaros 0 1 1
Kakalachik 0 1 1
Kakalesak 1 0 1
Kalas 3 9 12
Kalyash 1 2 3
Kalyasz 4 1 5
Karol 4 1 5
Karolchik 1 1 2
Karolcsik 2 3 5
Karolczik 1 0 1
Klecsa 0 1 1
Klembarsky 1 1 2
Kletsa 1 1 2
Kondracin 0 1 1
Kopasa 2 0 2
Kopnicka 0 8 8
Kopnicky 8 0 8
Kopniczky 3 0 3
Kopniky 1 0 1
Korchan 0 1 1
Korfanta 2 0 2
Kormas 1 1 2
Kormos 0 1 1
Korolchik 1 0 1
Kostelnik 0 2 2
Kovacs 0 1 1
Kovalchik 12 11 23
Kovalcsik 3 1 4
Kravcsik 1 0 1
Kraynak 3 0 3
Kraynakova 0 1 1
Kraynyak 1 0 1
Kris'ak 4 0 4
Kris'akova 0 3 3
Kropinyak 6 5 11
Lesn'akova 0 1 1
Letok? 0 1 1
Libertin 3 4 7
Liska 2 3 5
Loboda 1 2 3
Lovas 0 1 1
Lucacs 0 1 1
Luchansky 1 2 3
Machala 0 1 1
Machusko 3 2 5
Mackoviakova 0 1 1
Macsik 0 1 1
Magerko 8 3 11
Magyar 0 1 1
Malyar 1 0 1
Manyovsky 6 1 7
Maras 9 8 17
Marasova 0 1 1
Marasz 4 1 5
Marniyach-sp? 0 1 1
Mars'alek 5 0 5
Marsalek 3 0 3
Marschall 2 1 3
Marschallova 0 1 1
Maryovsky 0 2 2
Masek 0 2 2
Matsek 1 0 1
Matzik 1 1 2
Melich 1 0 1
Michlyan 0 1 1
Mihalcin 1 0 1
Mikitovich 2 1 3
Mikolaichik 0 1 1
Misikar 2 1 3
Mizigar 0 1 1
Mizikar 2 1 3
Miziker 11 10 21
Mizsigar 4 1 5
Mnich 9 8 17
Mnich-Szeman 0 1 1
Mnichova 0 2 2
Moflyar 1 4 5
Negrey 7 9 16
Novatny 1 1 2
Novotny 8 5 13
Olsavsky 4 2 6
Ondik 3 0 3
Ondikova 0 1 1
Ondova 0 1 1
Ontko 6 4 10
Pachuta 0 1 1
Pacit 1 0 1
Palecsko 0 1 1
Palencsar 0 1 1
Palentsar 2 0 2
Pancula 1 1 2
Patchan 6 0 6
Patchanova 0 3 3
Patchen 50 54 104
Patsan 148 141 289
Perhach 17 8 25
Perhachova 0 3 3
Perhacs 3 2 5
Petras 4 5 9
Petruna 0 1 1
Petrunya 4 1 5
Petrunyova 0 1 1
Pincsatz 0 1 1
Pindroch 0 1 1
Pliaczky 2 1 3
Podraczky 0 1 1
Pojucuk-sp? 0 1 1
Popovich 0 1 1
Poraczki 0 1 1
Pratchko 0 1 1
Prindroch 1 0 1
Prindros 0 1 1
Putanko 1 1 2
Repaska 0 3 3
Repasky 24 17 41
Ribar 4 7 11
Roman 4 13 17
Rucsin 1 2 3
Rudujansky 0 1 1
Rusbaczky 0 1 1
S'oms'ak 2 0 2
S'oms'akova 0 1 1
Sadvak 0 1 1
Sadvar 4 2 6
Sakacs 4 2 6
Seman 1 1 2
Semanova 0 3 3
Semchee 1 1 2
Simko 3 1 4
Siska 4 0 4
Siskova 0 1 1
Skoc'ovska 0 1 1
Skoc'ovsky 2 0 2
Skonyar 0 1 1
Slacka 0 1 1
Slacsky 0 1 1
Slaczky? 1 0 1
Slezak 3 0 3
Slosky 0 1 1
Slovinsky 3 3 6
Smee 3 3 6
Smy 2 1 3
Soltesz 2 1 3
Soltis 2 1 3
Somszky 0 1 1
Spegar 1 4 5
Starenky 1 1 2
Stasko 7 4 11
Stecz 3 5 8
Stefanchik 2 0 2
Stetz 0 1 1
Stofanik 1 1 2
Sulick 16 7 23
Sulin 2 0 2
Supina 7 6 13
Szakacs 0 2 2
Szakacz 2 2 4
Szeman 1 0 1
Szlifka 2 1 3
Szliska 0 1 1
Troyan 0 1 1
Uhrin 5 6 11
Urdak 3 0 3
Valyko 1 0 1
Varga 2 0 2
Veselenak 60 51 111
Veseleniak 1 1 2
Veselenik 4 1 5
Veselenyak 200 175 375
Veselenyk 1 0 1
Visocky 2 1 3
Visosky 1 1 2
Vojacek 3 2 5
Voytko 1 0 1
Vrabely 1 0 1
Zmij 164 168 332
Zofcin 1 1 2
Zubach 3 2 5
ismeretlen - unknown cause of death
altal megoletett - killed by murder
agyhartyagyulladas - brain membrane inflammation
agyrazkodas - concussion of the brain
agyvelo - brain, cerebrum
agyvelogyulladas - inflammation of the brain
agyverzes - apoplexy, stroke
bel - intestines
belgyulladas - intestinal infestation of
protozoan parasites
betegseg - illness
csonttores - bone fracture
dagadas - swelling, lumps
daganat - tumor
difteria - diphtheria
duzzanat - swelling
elgyengules - infection (to get full of pus)
forrosag - fever
gege - larnyx, throat
gegesoryadas - throat atrophy ?
genny - pus
gorcs - cramps, spasm
gumokor - tuberculosis
gyengeseg - weakness, feebleness
gyilkossag - murder
gyomor - stomach
gyomorhurut - gastric influenza
gyomorfekely - peptic ulcer
gyulladas - inflammation
halva szuletett - still born
hany - to vomit
has - abdomen
hasi hagymaz - typhoid fever
hasmenes - diarrhea
himlo - smallpox
kanyaro - measles
kiuteses - typhus
kohog - cough
kolera - cholera
korai szuletes - premature birth
kor - disease
kor - heart
laz - fever
mandula - tonsil
mandulagyulladas - tonsilitis
megoli magat - commit suicide
merevgorcs - tetanus (spasms of stiffness)
napszamosno - too much sun ?
napszuras - sunstroke
ongyilkossag - suicide
pestis - bubonic plague
resali szures altol - stabbed clean through
rosahimlo - rubella, German measles
sorvadas - atrophy
szaraz - dry
szamarkohoges - whooping cough
szeker atgazolas - run over by a wagon
szelutes - apoplexy, stroke
tifusz - typhus
torok - throat
torokgyulladas - inflammation of the throat
toroklob - sore throat (from lobog - flame)?
tudo - lung
tudogumokar - tuberculosis
tudogyulladas - pneumonia
tudohurut - bronchitis
tudovesz - lung disease
vakbelgyulladas - appendicitis
vegelgyengules - senile decay
veleszuletett - congenital
verbal - syphillis
verhas - dysentery
vermergezes - blood poisoning
vesz - disease, plague, pestilence
verzes - hemorrhage
vese - kidney
vorheny - scarlet fever
Back to Genealogical Research in Slovakia