[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Szczepanski?

[Reiner Kerp]

Dear fellow searchers,

> Everything I have seen in our databases seems to indicate
> that Schmidt does equate to Kowalski, just as Kirschbaum
> (cherry tree) equates to Wisniewski, which comes from the
> Polish wisnia (cherry tree).

Schmidt equates Kowal
Schmidtke equates Kowalke --> ?Kowalski?.

My mother-in-law worked, as she said, for a "Majewske" at Angerburg. The 
name however was Majewski. For people at Angerburg it was usual to pronounce 
the "i" as "e".
The "ke"-ending says it is the "little" (or the son of). If Szczepanski is 
of German origin, the ski would probably mean the same as Steffen-sen 
(son) - son of Stephan - the "little" Stephan. If in Polish the "ski" has no 
meaning, the "ke" does have it in German.
We see so very many cases of kind. Gren(s)/Krenz -> Grenke evolves polonized 
to Zielinski or gets ruined to Wacowzki.

As long as you don´t have prooved the true root, you never no and have to 
expect any surprise.

Best wishes,

Reiner