Moshe Feldenkrais last name meaning

I am reading the Moshe Feldenkrais biography, A life in Movement written by Mark Reese. The proposed etymology of Feldenkrais name is really fantastic. From the “circles on the field” to the “screams on the battlefield”. The truth can be more pragmatic, doesn’t mean less epic. The Feldenkrais name was probably given after 1795 when Poland was divided between Austrian-Hungarian Empire, Prussia, and Russia. The Feldenkrais family leaved near Sandomierz, so it was taken by the Austrians. The name was given then in German language. It was probably practical, related to the occupation or place of leaving. This could be FELDENKREUZ, which means in German a cross field. They probably leaved in the countryside, in a farm lost in the fields, and the indication to find their place of leaving was probably a wooden cross staying on the field or on the crossroad. Most probably they were farmers. When they moved to Slavuta at the beginning of the XIX century; the Sandomierz region was probably over populated, or their land was of a poor quality and the Russian administration was offering probably some benefits to the new colonists especially to experienced farmers, and the land in the Slavuta region was famous for it’s fertility, so the migration to the east had probably an economic reason. When they arrived, they presented documents written in German under the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, and the Russian officials who did not understand German and for whom the word “kreuz” had no meaning, so they wrote most probably by mistake Feldenkraiz, which was probably also easier to pronounce and sounds better in Russian language. Taking into consideration that all documents were hand written conforming to the rules of calligraphy it was very easy to change „euz” for an „aiz” termination. The Feldenkrais’s for whom the last name was very recent and did not probably have any importance these times, accepted the new orthography, or even didn’t notice it. When Moshe Feldenkrais came to Palestine, he signed his writings Feldenkrayz, or Feldenkraiz. It may be also related to the calligraphy. The letter „u” and the letter „z” were written different way than today, the u was a shorter version of „y” and „z” was similar to the Russian „z” also frequently used in hand written French language.It has to be noticed that the letter „u ” has the same representation in German and latin that the vocal „i” in Russian cyrylic alphabet, and letter „u” is written in cyrylic as „y”. Moshe who could have the picture in his mind of the old documents written in German, or even more probable the transcription of his name in Russian, could write his last name accordingly to his remembering. We have pictures of his school esseys signed as Feldenkrayz in Russian. Later on, he probably had the problem with constant misspelling of his name so he found the easiest way to write it and most close to the pronounciation.

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