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ArchivesRe: Garcia Etymology and Origin
in reply to a message by Alex
Some commentators raise the possibility that the name is from the long defunct Old Iberian language, and consequently beyond explanation. I agree that a common origin with the French surname Gars is likely, but the explanation of that name that I've heard is that it means "manservant". I've also read that it (Gars) derives from a Germanic word meaning "work".
I have noted a repeated occurence of the forename Garcia in a genealogical chart of the old Dukes of Gascony. It might be helpful to learn if their origins were Germanic (Frankish) or Basque.
I wonder if the popularity of Garcia as a given name in Medieval Spain had anything to do with the cult of a Spanish saint, García of Arlanza, died c.1073?
I have noted a repeated occurence of the forename Garcia in a genealogical chart of the old Dukes of Gascony. It might be helpful to learn if their origins were Germanic (Frankish) or Basque.
I wonder if the popularity of Garcia as a given name in Medieval Spain had anything to do with the cult of a Spanish saint, García of Arlanza, died c.1073?
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Replies
The consensus seems to be that gars/garçon is derived from southern Germanic *wrakjo (OHG reccheo, OE wrecca—both mean ‘exile, fugitive’: ModG Recke ‘warrior,’ ModE wretch). You can check a number of sources for this etymology at http://tr.im/wz3o.
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My reference to the Dukes of Gascony was mistaken. It was to the Kings of Navarre that I should have referred.
There is a lengthy discussion of the name Garcia here -
http://www.celtiberia.net/articulo.asp?id=2852
from which I quote the following as it mentions the Frankish wrakjo, meaning "servant", and wurkjo, meaning "worker".
En los diccionarios franceses se dice de “garçon, n. m. (vers 1100):
ancien cas régime de gars, probablt. francique wrakjo, d’ abord ‘goujat’, ‘valet’, puis ‘enfant mâle XIIIe. s.)”. Naturalmente a wrakjo le falta el asterisco, es decir *wrakjo, pues es fruto de una reconstrucción más o menos forzada, como veremos. Meyer-Lübke en REW, 9578ª, dice: “*wurkjo (frank.) ‘Arbeiter’. Afrz. garz garçon ‘Trossknecht’, nfrz. ‘Bursche’ (>it. garzone, prov. garsó, sp. garzón, pg. garçtio), fem. afrz. garce ‘Dime’, Brüch, ZFSL, 51,496. (Frank. *wrakjo ‘Recke’ Kluge, Zs. 41, 684; Gamillscheg ist lautlich schwieriger, alle früheren Erklarungen bei Gamillscheg sind noch unmöglicher.).“.
There is a lengthy discussion of the name Garcia here -
http://www.celtiberia.net/articulo.asp?id=2852
from which I quote the following as it mentions the Frankish wrakjo, meaning "servant", and wurkjo, meaning "worker".
En los diccionarios franceses se dice de “garçon, n. m. (vers 1100):
ancien cas régime de gars, probablt. francique wrakjo, d’ abord ‘goujat’, ‘valet’, puis ‘enfant mâle XIIIe. s.)”. Naturalmente a wrakjo le falta el asterisco, es decir *wrakjo, pues es fruto de una reconstrucción más o menos forzada, como veremos. Meyer-Lübke en REW, 9578ª, dice: “*wurkjo (frank.) ‘Arbeiter’. Afrz. garz garçon ‘Trossknecht’, nfrz. ‘Bursche’ (>it. garzone, prov. garsó, sp. garzón, pg. garçtio), fem. afrz. garce ‘Dime’, Brüch, ZFSL, 51,496. (Frank. *wrakjo ‘Recke’ Kluge, Zs. 41, 684; Gamillscheg ist lautlich schwieriger, alle früheren Erklarungen bei Gamillscheg sind noch unmöglicher.).“.
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I extracted this phrase from the website.
"Si leno vel meretrix, si gartio vel gartia alicui burgensi convitium dixerit"
Latin with French or Frankish influence...
Literally translates to the following. If Pimp or Prostitute, if Young Man or Young Woman (servant) a disgraced Bourgeois they say.
"Si leno vel meretrix, si gartio vel gartia alicui burgensi convitium dixerit"
Latin with French or Frankish influence...
Literally translates to the following. If Pimp or Prostitute, if Young Man or Young Woman (servant) a disgraced Bourgeois they say.
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