# Forum Learning Russian Language Resources for Studying Russian Russian Names  The -sky suffix on last names

## sperk

does this mean someone is Jewish or is it found in non-Jews?

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## Полуношник

> does this mean someone is Jewish or is it found in non-Jews?

 Surnames with -ский are pretty common in Russia. They often have geographic origin. For example:
1. Many nobles had such names, that is (the name of domain) + ский. 
2. Orthodox priests (scarcely Jewish) also often received surnames after their districts.  
Some of such names have Polish roots, names with -ski suffix are common there.

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## TATY

> does this mean someone is Jewish or is it found in non-Jews?

 The reason why the -ski suffix is associated wih Jews in the West (esecially America) is that most people in the West with -ski suffixed names are Jewish. Most Polish names end in -ski and so do lots of Russian and Ukrainian and Belarusian names. Around the turn of the 20th century millions of Jews emigrated from the Pale of Settlement of Russian Empire (modern day Western Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Poland) to places like America and Western Europe. Thus Polish/Eastern European surnames (e.g. those ending -ski) usually/very often belong to Jews in America and Western Europe, thus these type of names are associated with Jews. 
But most Poles (who are Christian) have names ending in -ski. 
The same goes for German names. At a certain time in the Russian Empire, Jews without surnames (they adopted surnames sometimes as late at the 19th century) had to be given German names.

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## Оля

> But most Poles (who are Christian) have names ending in -ski.

 And many russian adjectives have this ending   ::

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## TATY

> Originally Posted by TATY  But most Poles (who are Christian) have names ending in -ski.   And many russian adjectives have this ending

 I think the -ski suffix for adjectives is common to all Slavonic languages.

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## Бармалей

> Originally Posted by Оля        Originally Posted by TATY  But most Poles (who are Christian) have names ending in -ski.   And many russian adjectives have this ending     I think the -ski suffix for adjectives is common to all Slavonic languages.

 Completely off-topic, but what's the difference in Slavic vs. Slavonic? American vs. Commonwealth English?

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## basurero

[quote=Бармалей] 

> Originally Posted by "Оля":3stvfmnb        Originally Posted by TATY  But most Poles (who are Christian) have names ending in -ski.   And many russian adjectives have this ending     I think the -ski suffix for adjectives is common to all Slavonic languages.

 Completely off-topic, but what's the difference in Slavic vs. Slavonic? American vs. Commonwealth English?[/quote:3stvfmnb] 
Slavonic and Slavic are synonyms.

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## Бармалей

[quote=basurero] 

> Originally Posted by TATY        Originally Posted by "Оля":1go6ats2        Originally Posted by TATY  But most Poles (who are Christian) have names ending in -ski.   And many russian adjectives have this ending     I think the -ski suffix for adjectives is common to all Slavonic languages.   Completely off-topic, but what's the difference in Slavic vs. Slavonic? American vs. Commonwealth English?

 Slavonic and Slavic are synonyms.[/quote:1go6ats2]
Right; but why are there two terms? Is there some sort of nuance/regionalism/time-based reason for it?

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## basurero

Dunno, but there is also "Sclavonic".

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## Бармалей

> Dunno, but there is also "Sclavonic".

 That's a new one to me, but a quick google search proves you right. Interesting, very interesting...Seriously, "sclavonic" sounds like an adjective pertaining to a medical condition! Quick, MasterAdmin, register http://mastersclavoniclanguages.net before some Nigerian camper swoops in!  ::

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## MasterAdmin

All the good master domains are already registered for resale. Yes, purely for resale :)) 
master... french... german... spanish... italian...

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## TATY

I think Slavonic is closer to how it is in Slavonic languags, e.g. славянский.

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## Cocos

In Russian are "славянский" and "церковно-славянский" only.

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## TATY

Slavonic is primarily used in Britain, and Slavic in American English.

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