Brent E. Coy wrote: > > I joined the mailing list specifically to ask a question of all you > German orthographers, but I'm enjoying it immensely--from pickled eggs > to Poker Alice. > > I'm reseaching a family that was recorded as "COW" by the English > speaking clerks. They settled in the Cumberland Valley. Some were > Evangelical Lutherans of the Conococheague District; others were German > Baptist Brethern. Any thoughts on what the original German name could > have been and why the name eventually evolved into "COY"? There's no > sense in searching on "COW". It brings up everyone who ever left his > widow a cow, which is practically everyone! > Bonnie Coy (searching for COW and linked families WELBAUM, HOFFMAN > and GRISAMER) When I lived in Germany about 20 years ago, I had many German friends who spoke English. They told me that when they were learning English in their versions of High School and later in University, they had great trouble with the English "W", which doesn't appear in High German. I didn't have any problems with pronouncing the German "V" as a soft "F", but they pronounced the English "V" as "W", i.e. "Walley" for "Valley". Is there anyone who can explain this difficulty? -- Arthur D. Cloninger Computer Network/Laboratory Supervisor Fort Gay Middle School PO Box 460, Court and Vancouver Streets Fort Gay, WV 25514 Phone: 304.648.5404 E-mail addresses: acloning@access.k12.wv.us FGMS Homepage: http://www.ianet.net/~acloning/homepage.html