the etymology of me

everyone has seen the cards before. you know, the ones with your name on it and a definition of what it "means." those cards have always told me that allison means "honest," and while i didn't necessarily believe it (not because it's not true, but just because those sort of things are gimicky) i never thought about what it might actually denote. that is, until recently. for my linguistics class, i had to do a little write up on the eytmology of my name...in other words, i had to find the real origin and definition of what it means to be "allison reinhardt." and while it would never fit on one of those little playing-card-sized book mark things, it will definitely fit on a blog post. so here she is, a little heart to heart on the meaning of reinhardt.

A Virtuous, Pure-Hearted, Strong Counselor

Ever since I can remember, I have thought my last name meant “pure of heart” in the German language—rein, meaning, “pure,” and hardt obviously translating to, “heart.” My dad told me this as a little girl, and what good little girl doesn’t trust every word her daddy says? Plus, who wouldn’t want to be thought of as pure-hearted? I pictured my ancestors being named for their innocence and genuineness. I quite liked this so-called meaning of my last name, and therefore never sought out to discover just how true the translation was myself. This ignorance and bliss was wiped away the moment I began my research. Look up the English to German translation of “pure of heart” and you will not get, “rein hardt,” but rather, “ein reines Herz” (“English German Dictionary”). Close, but no cigar. Rein does in fact mean, “pure,” and it’s possible that while hardt isn’t a literal translation it could be more of a phonetic transliteration of the English, “heart”. Still, I must admit that this new information left me full of doubts and questions. Has my whole self-concept for the past 10 years been a lie? What does my surname really mean?
It turns out that its origins aren’t quite as simple as an English to German translation. In fact, its origins aren’t even German at all. It is likely that Reinhardt is merely a German cognate of the French surname Reynard. According to A Dictionary of Surnames, Reynard came from the Old French words ragin, meaning, “counsel,” and hard, meaning, “hardy, brave, or strong” (449). While it might not be as poetic as, “pure of heart,” I can definitely accept, “strong counsel.” In a way, it describes me rather well. I have always considered giving advice one of my strengths, and love listening to my friends in their times of need, offering what words of wisdom I might have up my sleeve. The phrase, “strong counsel,” also describes my dad to the letter. He makes a living as a consultant, providing expert advice to his clients, while also providing fatherly advice to his children. Albeit his area of expertise is not in the etymology of names, he has rarely led me astray otherwise. And despite the fact that I am now privy to the actual meaning of my surname, I prefer a combination of the two meanings, picturing my ancestors as pure-hearted, strong counselors. After all, what is advice if it isn’t honest and genuine?
With the misconceptions about my surname now set right, I can move on to my given name. Bare with me while I take you back through its origins. Alli is a nickname for Allison, which is an alternate spelling of Alison. Alison is a Norman French diminutive of Alice, and Alice is originally a variant of Adelaide, representing an Old French spelling of Germanic ‘Adalheidis’ (A Concise Dictionary of First Names, 6-8). It would appear that my parents were unknowingly consistent in giving me a name with Old French origins to match with the Old French origins of my last name. Adalaide comes from the words adal, meaning, “noble,” and heid, meaning, “kind or sort.” It was borne in the 10th century by the wife of Holy Roman Emperor Otto the Great, as well as the wife of King William IV (A Concise Dictionary of First Names, 2). Clearly this name comes with some big shoes to fill, or, in this case, some rather large crowns. Seeing as I have a pretty small head, though, and have not even an ounce of blue blood running in my veins, I don’t think the name suits me in any reference to royalty. Instead, I might consider myself as noble in the sense that I have high moral principles and ideals, stemming from my relationship with Jesus Christ and my desire to follow His ways.
I started the day merely thinking of myself as Alli Reinhardt. Now, I see myself as much more—a virtuous, pure-hearted, and strong counselor. With all that to say, after learning this lesson in etymology, it appears I might need a lesson in humility as well.

Works Cited
"English German Dictionary." Reverso: Free Online Translation Service. Web. 18 Sept. 2010.
Hanks, Patrick, and Flavia Hodges. A Concise Dictionary of First Names. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1992. Print.
Hanks, Patrick, and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1988. Print.