The term '''''' () is used in German surnames either as a nobiliary particle indicating a noble patrilineality, or as a simple preposition used by commoners that means or .
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Encyclopedic overview
9 sectionsContents
- Usage
- Germany and Austria
- Non-noble use
- Ancient nobility
- Russia
- Nordic countries
- Capitalization
- In German
- References
The term '''' () is used in German surnames either as a nobiliary particle indicating a noble patrilineality, or as a simple preposition used by commoners that means or .
Nobility directories like the often abbreviate the noble term to v.'' In medieval or early modern names, the particle was at times added to commoners' names; thus, meant . This meaning is preserved in Swiss toponymic surnames and in the Dutch , which is a cognate of but also does not necessarily indicate nobility.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “von” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.