[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Rumunki

[K. Gallagher]

A little while back, the question was raised about the term "rumunki."  At the time, I was unable to locate the definition by Fred Hoffman I had seen several years ago, but it just turned up.   It certainly supports explanations given earlier.   According to Hoffman in the book he co-authored with Jonathan Shea on Russian documents, the term rumunki/romunki "comes from the German word, Räuming and means a separate settlement, not one in or attached to a village, amid fields or in the woods, and is leased by a farm owner.  It can also be a waste or deserted area left after the woods have been cleared by German colonists."  

Happy Valentine's Day!
K. Gallagher