Hello Cari and listers, the transformation between "SCH" and "J" is pretty easy to explain. The French sound "J" is pronounced like in English "dj" but without the sound "d" - like in "Brezhnev" transcribed as "Brejnev" in French. Moreover, the sound "J" doesn't exist in German and Alsatian, therefore there is a confusion between SCH and J. In my example, Germans write "Breschnew". Cari is right, n German the ending D or B letters are pronounced T and P. As to Allen's query, I guess that a French-speaker named JUD had his name transcribed into SCHUTT in Alsace or any other Germanic linguistic area. Etienne PS after many connection troubles, I'm pleased to be back on the list. Sorry for the listers who are awaiting a response from me. A huge pile of mails to answer... Le 29 mai 08 à 09:00, alsace-lorraine-request@rootsweb.com a écrit : > Date: Fri, 23 May 2008 17:27:06 -0700 > From: "Carolyn \"Cari\" Thomas" <western37@cox.net> > Subject: [A-L] Schutt/Jud on board the Wm Tell, phonetics, > deciphering, etc. > > Hello Allen, > > You?ve asked whether the Schutt family name could have been written > as ?Jud? > phonetically? The German (Alsatian is Germanic) ending-letters d > and t > sound very similar, which results in names - ending in either > letter, being > spelled with either or even with both: Villhart, Villhard, Villhardt > Vilhardt, etc. The Germanic letter j is actually pronounced more > like a ?y?, > for instance in ? yet? or ?yes?, which is why the German version of > John: > Johann - sometimes is found written Yohann, as pronounced. Whether > it would > be mistaken as an ?Sch?, I can?t say .....though - depending on the > amount > of aspiration, I think it could be possible. > > Instead, let me suggest a couple other possibilities: > > FIRST: that the indexing of that family name on the William Tell has > been > mis-deciphered! I think it possible that the name is SUD, SUET or > possibly > even SUTT, even though it DOES look like Jud if you look casually. > Instead, > please take another look at the page, and notice that every other > instance > of a beginning ?J? extends below the line! See passengers #52, 58, > 62, 63, > 73, 75, 76, and 93. On the other hand, in all ?S? names, the S rests > on the > line: see passengers 47, 48, 51, 53 and others, .... even the S in the > column ?U. S.?.....BUT ESPECIALLY the origin of passenger 80, which I > believe is Switzerland. The S in that word mirrors the beginning > letter in > your family?s name. > > SECOND: Whatever the original family name, the family, themselves, > may have > changed the name to Schutt in the US, for whatever reason. (...) > Cari Thomas