Question Regarding Foglio di Famiglia

[rjmichaels]

Hi Tessa,

Thank you very much! I've asked a few other people and they believe they're nicknames too. The Carolo appears on both Mazza fogli and I was told that nicknames were sometimes passed down through families, so that may explain that. Seeing as they are also used in the gazetteer you posted, it seems to support that. How these nicknames came about and how they were used are still a mystery. I am going to try to get more fogli to see if they shed more light (but I expect they will probably raise more questions.

Thanks again!
Ray

[Tessa78]

Hi Ray,

Came across this article - thought you might find it interesting...

Included in it is this paragraph -

Another phenomenon, more widespread in small towns of Southern Italy, is known as ‘ingiurie’. Families or individuals were given a unique nickname that identified them as much as their family names. Interestingly enough, the literal definition of “ingiuria” is insult, so it’s safe to say that not all nicknames are particularly flattering. -

http://www.panoramitalia.com/en/arts-cu ... names/781/

T.

[rjmichaels]

Hi Tessa,

Thanks for posting that! That is very interesting! My researcher in Italy had never come across these identifiers before, and they are not on any official documents. So, really, outside of these documents, these names are most likely not recorded anywhere. Now, if only I could figure out the meanings of the names!

Ray