THE GERMAN ORIGIN OF GREAT ITALIANS AS EVIDENCED IN THEIR NAMES.

The successive waves of German invasion that swept over Italy, leaving their record in the name of one of its fairest provinces, while they added a few German words to the language, left a much larger number of German patronymics in the names of its families. The Christian names borne by well-known Italians, such as Alberto, Arnolfo, Bernardo, Carlo, Enrico, Federigo (Frederic), Francesco, Leonardo, Luigi, Ludovico, Mainardo, Odoardo (Edward), Ridolphi, Sinibaldo, Ugo (Hugo or Hugh), Onofrio (Humphrey), all of German origin, sufficiently attest this to have been the case. And I think we shall be warranted in assuming, as in the case of France, that if this be the case with Christian names, it cannot be essentially different with regard to surnames.

But inasmuch as I have not had the same opportunity of collating and examining the mass of Italian surnames that I have had in the case of those of France, I propose to shape the comparison into a rather different form, and, without departing from its etymological purpose, to endeavour to give it something of an ethnical interest as well. This admixture of German blood could not fail to have an influence—and, we can hardly doubt, an invigorating influence—upon the character of the softer and more receptive Italian race. It may not then be without interest—though we need not attach more importance to the result than it deserves—to endeavour to trace the result of that admixture in the names of illustrious Italians. For it is somewhat remarkable how many of the men most distinguished in the council and in the field, in science, literature, and in art, bear names which testify to a German origin. And we are even able, in certain cases, to indicate with a fair amount of probability the particular race of Germans from whom these names may be taken to be derived. The rule laid down by Max MÜller (Science of Language) that words in Italian beginning with gua, gue, gui, may be taken to be pretty certainly of German origin, holds good also of Italian names. Now this form of gua, gue, gui represents the prefix of g before w, which was a special characteristic of the Franks, as it is still of their descendants, the French, in such names as Guillaume (=Gwillaume) for Wilhelm or William. In some cases, though more rarely, this prefix of g, in accordance with a High German tendency, becomes a hard c and is represented by q, as in Queringi and perhaps Quirini. Such names then as Gualdo, Guardi, Guido, Guicciardini, Guarnerius, may be taken as certainly of German, and I think, more especially of Frankish origin.

To begin with the names of warriors, the list may well be headed by that of the old hero, Garibaldi. Garibald (gar, spear, and bald, bold) was a well-known Old German name, being borne, among others, by a Duke in Bavaria in the sixth century, by six bishops in the three centuries following, and, what is more to the purpose, by two Lombard kings in Italy. We ourselves have the name in its Saxon form (gor for gar) as Gorbold and Corbould (O.G. Kerbald), and the French have it as Gerbault. "Blind old Dandalo" may also be claimed as German; Dandalo, corresponding with an O.G. Dantulo, being formed as a diminutive from the Old German name Dando. I have elsewhere made the suggestion, which I venture here to reproduce, that Bonaparte may also be a name of German origin, slightly changed to give it a seeming meaning in Italian. The case stands thus. Bonibert and Bonipert are found as Old Frankish names, respectively of the seventh and the ninth centuries. In that part of Italy which was overrun by the Franks, namely at Turin, is to be found the present Italian name Boniperti, which we can hardly doubt to be derived from the Old Frankish Bonipert. Now from this part of Italy came originally also the Bonapartes, and the question is simply this, May not the name Bonaparte originate in an attempt to give something of an Italian meaning to this other name Boniperti, which would convey no sense to an Italian ear? The French still have the Old Frankish name as Bompart (changing n before a labial into m, as they do in Edimbourg for Edinburgh); there was a vice-admiral of that name who proved his courage by engaging, though unsuccessfully, an English frigate of superior force. And we—or at any rate the Americans—have it in a Saxon form as Bonbright (Suffolk Surnames). And very appropriate, if we were to translate it, would be the meaning—bona, a slayer, and bert or pert, illustrious.

The two distinguished families of the Adimari at Florence and of the Grimaldi at Genoa both give evidence of German descent in their names (O.G. Adimar and Grimwald); as regards the latter indeed it is to be traced historically, though the position of the present representative, as ruler of the principality of Monaco and recipient of its doubtful gains, is perhaps hardly in accordance with the higher traditions of his family. The name, Alphonso, of a Duke of Ferrara in the middle ages, was one given also by the Germans to a still more illustrious lineage in Spain. Alphonso is a contraction of the O.G. Adalfuns (adal, noble, funs, eager). The Saxon form of funs being fus, it seems to me that our name Adolphus may be properly Adel-fus, and not a latinization of Adolph. German also are the names of the two great rival factions of the Guelphs and the Ghibellines, Guelph being a Frankish form of Welf or Welp, Eng. whelp, and the Ghibellines deriving from an Old German name Gibilin, traced by Mone to a Burgundian origin. Thus the Guelphs, given originally by Germany to Italy, were afterwards transplanted again to Germany, and thence to England, to rule far above all factions. And again, we find the Bonaparte, whose ancestor was expelled from Italy as a Ghibelline, come forward to pursue on a grander scale his hereditary feud with the Guelphs.

In the names of scholars and men of science the German element is very strongly represented. We find Accolti (O.G. Achiolt for Agiovald[50]), Alamanni (O.G. Alaman), Algarotti (O.G. Algar for Adelgar), Ansaldi (O.G. Ansald for Ansovald), Audifredi (O.G. Audifred), Bertrandi (O.G. Bertrand), Gualdo (O.G. Waldo), Giraldi (O.G. Girald), Gosselini (O.G. Gosselin), Guicciardini (O.G. Wichard), Lanzi (O.G. Lanzi), Lamberti (O.G. Lambert for Landbert), Manfredi (O.G. Manfred), Maraldi (O.G. Marald), Odevico (O.G. Ottwic for Audewic), Orlandi (O.G. Arland for Hariland), Raimondi (O.G. Raimund), Rolandini (O.G. Roland for Rodland), Roberti (O.G. Robert for Rodbert), Sacchi (O.G. Sacco), Quirini (O.G. Guerin, Werin). We may add to the list the name of the historian Sismondi (Sigismund), who, though born at Geneva, must, I apprehend, have been of Italian origin. The name in its uncontracted form, Sigismondi, is also found in Italy.

Among the names of distinguished explorers and discoverers, we have Americus (O.G. Emrich), who gave his name to America, and Belzoni (O.G. Belzo). German are also the names of the Pope Aldobrandini (O.G. Aldebrand), and of the philanthropist Odeschalchi (O.G. Odalschalch), whose name, if translated, would be the appropriate one of "Servant of his country."

The painters are not quite so strongly represented as the men of letters and science, the two principal names being those of Lionardo (O.G. Leonhard) and of Guido. Guido is one of the Frankish forms to which I have before alluded, and is formed by the prefix of g to the name Wido or Wito,—it was not an uncommon name among the Old Franks, and is found at present among the French as Videau, Viteau, and GuidÉ. The ill-omened name of the assassin Guiteau I take to be from the same origin, and to be of French extraction. So also may be our own name Widow, which corresponds with a Wido of about the twelfth or thirteenth century in the Liber VitÆ. There is another Italian name, Guidubaldi, that of a Duke of Urbino, in the middle ages, formed on the same stem with the addition of bald, bold, and corresponding with a Frankish Guidobald. The word concerned seems to be most probably Goth. vidus, O.H.G. witu, wood, used in a poetical sense for weapon.[51]

Other names of painters are Baldi (O.G. Baldo), Baldovin(etti) (O.G. Baldwin), Anselmi (O.G. Anshelm), Ansuini (O.G. Answin), Aldighiero (O.G. Aldegar), Algardi (O.G. Alagart), Alberti (O.G. Albert for Adalbert), Alloisi (O.G. Alois = Alwis), Ghiberti (O.G. Gibert), Gherardini (O.G. Gerard), Gennari (O.G. Genear), Ghirlandaio (O.G. Gerland), Tibaldi (O.G. Tiebald for Theudobald). Also Guardi, another of the Frankish forms before referred to, representing an O.G. Wardi, and the same name as Eng. Ward, for which we find a corresponding A.S. Weard.

Of those eminent in the sister art of music, we have Castoldi (O.G. Castald for Castwald), and Frescobaldi. This last name does not figure in Foerstemann's list, but we can hardly doubt its German origin, bald being a typical German ending, while Fresc, as a Teutonic name, is found in the Fresc(ingas), early Saxon settlers in England, another instance of the common tie which binds all Teutonic names together. We may add to the list, as the name of a living composer, Guglielmo = Wilhelm or William. Among those who were accessory to music as instrument-makers, we have Stradivarius and Guarnerius (O.G. Guarner for Warinhar) corresponding with our own names Warriner and Warner, and present French names Ouarnier and Guernier. It will not be out of keeping with what we should expect if we find the German element develop itself in the conception rather than in the execution of music, and in the combination of science and patience which led to the success of the old instrument-makers.

But it is in the names of immortal singers that we find the German element most conspicuously represented. Dante himself bears a name which, though not in itself German, may yet have been given to Italy by the Germans, while as to his second title, Alighieri, there seems hardly any doubt of its German origin.[52] Dante is a contraction of Durante, which seems to be derived most naturally from Latin durans, and it might seem something of a paradox to suppose a Latin race to be indebted to the Germans for a Latin name. And yet I think that there are some grounds for supposing it to be a name adopted by the early Frankish converts to Christianity, and by them transmitted to the Italians. For we find Durant, Durand, and Durann as not uncommon German names, apparently Frankish, in the eighth and the ninth centuries. And we find the word moreover made up into a German compound as Durandomar (mar, famous). The French have moreover at present, derived we may presume from their Frankish ancestors, another name, Durandard, similarly formed (hard, fortis). Now this is precisely the same principle as that on which the early Frankish converts, as we find from the Pol. Irm. and the Pol. Rem., used to form many of their names, taking a word of Christian import from the Latin or otherwise, and mixing it up with the Old German compounds to which they had been accustomed. Thus, for an example, we find that a woman called Electa, which we can hardly doubt means "elect," gives to her son the name of Electard, a similar compound to Durandard. There seems then, on the whole, a fair amount of probability for this suggestion, which would moreover sufficiently account for the manner in which the name is common to France, Italy, Germany, and England. The French have it as Durand, Durant, and Durandeau (besides Durandard already noted); the Italians as Durante, Duranto, and Durandi; the Germans as Durand and Dorand; and we ourselves as Durand and Durant. Our names came to us no doubt through the Normans,—there is a Durand in the Roll of Battle Abbey, and it is not till after this period that we find it as an English name.

For the German origin of Tasso a rather stronger case can be made out, Tasso and Taso being found as ancient German names, and the latter in particular being a Lombard leader in Italy. But there was another Lombard called Taso, who, as a man of remarkable sanctity of life, and as the founder of a monastery at Volterra, was eminently likely to leave a name behind him in Italy. Tasso is still a current name in that country, and our surname Tassie, along with the French Tassy, may be taken to be the same name. Both we and the French have also Tassell, formed from it and corresponding with Tassilo, the name of a Bavarian king of the sixth century. The meaning of the word has not been satisfactorily explained, and this may be one of the cases in which the original word has either greatly changed in meaning, or else has perished out of the language.

Another name which we may take pretty certainly to be of German origin is Leopardi, corresponding with the O.G. Leopard, for Liubhard (liub, love, and hard, fortis). There was a Lombard named Leopard who was abbot of Nonantola in Italy in the tenth century. Then we have Amalungi, from the O.G. Amalung, fifth century, a patronymic form, "son of Amal or Amala," the (perhaps mythical) forerunner of the Goths. The French have the name, Hamel and Ameling, and we have Hammill, Hamling, and Hambling. This is another of the cases in which a name has outlived its etymon; we know that amal was a word of honourable meaning, but as to its origin even the patient research of the Germans has failed to find a clue. The name Amalthius may also be taken as certainly German, from amal as above, and the common Old German ending thius, dio, or tio, servant, though we do not find a name to correspond in the Altdeutsches Namenbuch. There was also a painter Amalteo, whose name is a variation of the same. Another name which I take to be German, without finding the ancient name to correspond, is Boiardo, boi (supposed by the Germans to mean Bavarian) being a common prefix in Old German names, and hard one of the most common endings. The French have, among other names derived from their Frankish ancestors, the corresponding names Boyard and Poyard, and we ourselves have Byard, which I take to be from the same origin. Then we have Berni (O.G. Berno), Bernini (O.G. Bernin), and Beroaldus (O.G. Berowald).

There remain yet two distinguished names, Alfieri and Guarini. The former may be from the O.G. Alfheri, alf, elf, and heri, warrior, the sense contained in the former word being perhaps that of occult wisdom. Hence it would correspond with our surnames Albery and Aubery, Alfheri and Albheri being convertible Old German names. Guarini may, with somewhat more of certainty, be taken to be from the Old Frankish name Guarin, formed on the principle already referred to on other Old German names, Warin and Warno. Hence our names Warren and Warne, and the French GuÉrin. The Wearningas, "sons or descendants of Wearn," are among the early Saxon settlers referred to in Chapter IV., and Warin is found as an early name in the Liber VitÆ. There are some other names which may very possibly be of German origin, but the form of which is not sufficiently distinct to make the connection generally intelligible.

I conclude this chapter with a suggestion as to the possibly German origin of one who but of late occupied a considerable place in European politics, viz. Gambetta. This name is of Italian origin, and I venture to think may be one of those given to Italy by the Germans, and perhaps most probably by the Lombards. There was a Gambad who ruled over Ticino in the ancient duchy of Milan, and was subsequently driven out by Pertharit, who thereupon became the ruler of the whole of Lombardy. Gambad seems to be probably a Lombard form of Ganbad (gan, magic, or fascination, and bad, war), or it might be of Gandbad (gand, wolf), both ancient German stems. This name Gambad would in French take the form of Gambette,[53] and in Italian of Gambetta. It would be curious if this name were one left behind by the Lombards (or possibly even the Franks) in their invasion of Italy, and restored to France to rouse her to a gallant though unavailing attempt to stem the tide of another German invasion. And very suitable too would be the name, in the sense of magic or fascination, to one whose energy and eloquence acted as such a potent spell to revive the drooping courage of his countrymen.