New Post
Search
Help
ArchivesRe: Surname Ponisi
in reply to a message by sally reader
Had to go into my Indo-European root book ...so we're starting at a very remote origin ...
There's an IE root, "pent" that seems to have evolved into words that look similar and might be related. It's origin means "to tread, go" but evolved into words like Pontiff and pontoon meaning "bridge, way or passage". The title "Pontifex" literally meant "he who prepares the way" ...
Therefore, with the ending of -isi which is likely a dimunitive, I'd venture a guess at something like ... "son of the trailblazer" or something similar ... to give you a positive spin ...but most names (not all) were positive spins ...good luck!!
There's an IE root, "pent" that seems to have evolved into words that look similar and might be related. It's origin means "to tread, go" but evolved into words like Pontiff and pontoon meaning "bridge, way or passage". The title "Pontifex" literally meant "he who prepares the way" ...
Therefore, with the ending of -isi which is likely a dimunitive, I'd venture a guess at something like ... "son of the trailblazer" or something similar ... to give you a positive spin ...but most names (not all) were positive spins ...good luck!!
1