Usenet Posted 22 years ago
Usage
Gryfici in English?
I have a bit of a translation problem - again!
There was a powerful medieval family, a dynasty of Pomeranian dukes, called "Gryfici" because the principal sign (I believe it is called a charge in heraldry?) on their coat of arms was a "gryf", or griffin/gryphon.
I would like to translate the word "Gryfici" into English but I'm not sure how to make a family name from a coat of arms. "Griffites"? Would an English speaker associate the word "Griffite" with a griffin? I considered "the House of Griffins" or something like that, but it seems to me that in the "house of" construction whatever is after "of" is normally the first name of the family's founder, so it would be misleading people into thinking that Griffin was a person, am I right? Hope this question is not too confusing.
Hanna
There was a powerful medieval family, a dynasty of Pomeranian dukes, called "Gryfici" because the principal sign (I believe it is called a charge in heraldry?) on their coat of arms was a "gryf", or griffin/gryphon.
I would like to translate the word "Gryfici" into English but I'm not sure how to make a family name from a coat of arms. "Griffites"? Would an English speaker associate the word "Griffite" with a griffin? I considered "the House of Griffins" or something like that, but it seems to me that in the "house of" construction whatever is after "of" is normally the first name of the family's founder, so it would be misleading people into thinking that Griffin was a person, am I right? Hope this question is not too confusing.
Hanna
Top answer
[nq:1]I have a bit of a translation problem - again! There was a powerful medieval family, a dynasty of Pomeranian ... misleading people into thinking that Griffin was a person, am I right?
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[nq:1]I have a bit of a translation problem - again! There was a powerful medieval family, a dynasty of Pomeranian ... misleading people into thinking that Griffin was a person, am I right? Hope this question is not too confusing. Hanna[/nq]
"House of Griffin" seems about right. You run the risk of having people believe it's a proper name but that ambiguity is unavoidable. I wonder why you wan
"House of Griffin" seems about right. You run the risk of having people believe it's a proper name but that ambiguity is unavoidable. I wonder why you wan
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[nq:1]I would like to translate the word "Gryfici" into English but I'm not sure how to make a family name from a coat of arms. "Griffites"? Would an English speaker associate the word "Griffite" with a griffin?[/nq]
I'd suggest Griffith, which the link below suggests comes from the Welsh for fierce. Close enough.
I'd suggest Griffith, which the link below suggests comes from the Welsh for fierce. Close enough.
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[nq:1]I have a bit of a translation problem - again! There was a powerful medieval family, a dynasty of Pomeranian ... be misleading people into thinking that Griffin was a person, am I right? Hope this question is not too confusing.[/nq]
A bit of googling shows that Gryfici and Griffin are both used: http://tinyurl.com/69xbw
A bit of googling shows that Gryfici and Griffin are both used: http://tinyurl.com/69xbw
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[nq:1]I wonder why you want to translate it? A quick Google shows that "House of Gryfici" is used. We don't translate names like Hapsburg (1) or Medici and we didn't translate Battenberg until the Mountbattens started doing it themselves.[/nq]
"Medici" would be "Medyceusze" in Polish, even though Habsburg (or for example Windsor) would stay the same. I suppose it's a matter of usage. In this p
"Medici" would be "Medyceusze" in Polish, even though Habsburg (or for example Windsor) would stay the same. I suppose it's a matter of usage. In this p
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[nq:1]I have a bit of a translation problem - again! There was a powerful medieval family, a dynasty of Pomeranian ... thinking that Griffin was a person, am I right? Hope this question is not too confusing. HannaHouse of the gryphon?[/nq]
Ray
Ray
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[nq:2]I wonder why you want to translate it? A quick ... didn't translate Battenberg until the Mountbattens started doing it themselves.[/nq]
[nq:1]"Medici" would be "Medyceusze" in Polish, even though Habsburg (or for example Windsor) would stay the same. I suppose it's ... nickname (from the "gryf" on the coat of arms) than a surname (which I think was ¦wiebodzic or ¦wiebodzice). Hanna[/nq]
[nq:1]"Medici" would be "Medyceusze" in Polish, even though Habsburg (or for example Windsor) would stay the same. I suppose it's ... nickname (from the "gryf" on the coat of arms) than a surname (which I think was ¦wiebodzic or ¦wiebodzice). Hanna[/nq]
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[nq:1]I have a bit of a translation problem - again! There was a powerful medieval family, a dynasty of Pomeranian ... a family name from a coat of arms. "Griffites"? Would an English speaker associate the word "Griffite" with a griffin?[/nq]
Call them "the Gryfici" and be done with it. By the way, MW shows a griffin/griffon/gryphon with black wings and a yellow body, claws, and beak on a shie
Call them "the Gryfici" and be done with it. By the way, MW shows a griffin/griffon/gryphon with black wings and a yellow body, claws, and beak on a shie
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[nq:1]I have a bit of a translation problem - again! There was a powerful medieval family, a dynasty of Pomeranian ... the word "Gryfici" into English but I'm not sure how to make a family name from a coat of arms.[/nq]
There is already an English family name "Griffin", so why not use that? Or do you want it to be altered to sound Pomeranian?
Paul
In bocca al Lupo!
There is already an English family name "Griffin", so why not use that? Or do you want it to be altered to sound Pomeranian?
Paul
In bocca al Lupo!
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[nq:2]I have a bit of a translation problem - again! ... I right? Hope this question is not too confusing. Hanna[/nq]
[nq:1]"House of Griffin" seems about right. You run the risk of having people believe it's a proper name but that ... don't translate names like Hapsburg (1) or Medici and we didn't translate Battenberg until the Mountbattens started doing it themselves.[/nq]
My impression,
[nq:1]"House of Griffin" seems about right. You run the risk of having people believe it's a proper name but that ... don't translate names like Hapsburg (1) or Medici and we didn't translate Battenberg until the Mountbattens started doing it themselves.[/nq]
My impression,
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