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Von, vom and naming your kennel.

153K views 81 replies 45 participants last post by  wolfstraum 
#1 ·
I am a little confused about the use of "vom" and "von" in registered names of dogs. I was under the impression that "vom" means of and "von" means the, the first in relation to a specific kennel or bloodline. I think I am wrong about the meaning of von. Can someone please explain the two terms for me? It's greatly appreciated!

Also, when it comes to choosing a name for a working-line kennel, is it smart to go strictly German or is it okay to go with something English? I see some strictly German names and some kennels that use a format such as: Dogname vom Summerview.

Opinions? Thoughts? Experiences?

Thank you!
 
#54 ·
But the words Gable, Loeffel, and Messer are very different. I'm talking about the sounds as it rolls of the tongue being spoken, not what the words represent (items of a similar use/nature). I honestly don't know how the gender is assigned and have never studied linguistics or the history of the German language but have found that the more you use the language (spoken) the easier it is to "guess" the gender of a noun you may not have memorized.
 
#56 · (Edited)
What don't you get? There are several categories of words or word endings in German that will make it always be a certain gender. You don't have to memorize the gender in the language to be able to correctly use prepositional phrases, etc. For example, -heit, -keit, -tät, -ung, -schaft...these are ALWAYS feminine. Doesn't matter what the words actually mean, only that they sound the same with those endings.
 
#57 ·
Help naming my puppy

Just found and read this entire thread, and now I have a question.

First, the background. My GSD was found abandoned in the woods with his dam and 9 littermates. [They could be mixes, of course, but the dam appears purebred as do all 10 puppies (they are 8 months old now), but I digress....] The DNA test on my puppy indicates purebred.

I will be applying for an ILP number from AKC for him so that I can show him in obedience and tracking.

I was planning on naming him "Otto von Willoglen," Willoglen being a combination of my parents' names and the kennel name that I used when breeding and showing Shelties.

Will this be considered poor form? I don't want to offend any purists as I plan on getting a 2nd GSD from a reputable breeder in a few years. (I am still researching, but I am very attracted to photos of Esko vom Klammeck at Truehaus...again, digressing....) I would like to get involved in working titles at some point.

Thanks for your help! Suggestions will be appreciated!
 
#58 ·
I don't think it matters b/c Willowglen are not German words. You could use the gender of the German word for "glen". Also I don't think it's poor form, I give my rescue dogs "full" names too :) The name "Otto" has likely been used dozens of times so the AKC would just attach your last name or a number, so you might as well think of something cute.
 
#63 ·
It's a while still before breeding, but we're wanting to use Hawkhurst as the kennel name. Would that be a von or vom? I'm still rather turned around on what's correct... but would prefer to be accurate.

As a side note, Hawkhurst is the ancestral home of the landed "Maynard" family in Kent, England.
 
#64 ·
If it's not a German word, I'm not sure. "vom" would be my guess just based on how it sounds/feels to say, or maybe go by whatever gender is assigned to the German word for "hurst" (if there is one?).
 
#66 ·
SpookyShepherd,

I grew up speaking German and have worked professional jobs and lived in the US and Germany.

Resorting to the dictionary to sort this out won't give you the best answer. You want to express that your kennel is from Hawkhurst. The dictionary will give you von and aus as translations for from. You need to understand where to use each. If you're telling me where you live, or where you were originally from, you would use aus. For example, to say you come from Hawkhurst you would write "Ich komme aus Hawkhurst." However, in the title of a kennel you want to tell me where it is located so you use von.

To figure out whether you say von or vom you will need to know the gramatical gender of the noun it refers to. There is no rule in German that governs this although there are many patterns. Generally, nouns that refer to females are given the feminine gender die (for example die Frau). However, there are exceptions (for example, das Weib). If you study German you will simply need to remember the genders. For nouns that fall outside of the patterns you will not be able to guess, there simply is no rule for this in German. There isn't even a rule that governs the patterns, they are simply patterns.

However, you're luck in this case. You want to use a foreign word and in German most (but not all!) foreign words use the neuter gender das. Initially in German your kennel would be called "von dem Hawkhurst." However, German contracts von and dem to form vom. Therefore, the correct name of your kennel would be "vom Hawkhurst."

Hope this helps.
 
#67 ·
I'm not a liguist, but I'm a native speaker and this is how I would use it so that it doesn't sound „wrong“ in my ears. ;)


„Vom“ is actually a combined word of „Von“ an the dativ article „dem“ for masculine or neutrum Nouns, so it means „of the“.
The question to ask to get the Dativ object in a sentence would be „wem“ or in old english „whom“.
„Wem gehört dieser Hund?“- „Das ist der Hund von dem Gärtner.“
„To whom does this dog belong?“ -“That's the dog of the Gardener.“
„Von wem stammt dieser Hund ab?“ -“Von dem Rüden da drüben.“
„whom does it come of?“ -“Of the male dog over there.“
the feminine form would be „Von der“ like the medieval poet Walther von der Vogelweide.


„Vom“ is also always specific while „von“ alone can als be inspecific.
„der Hund von dem Mädchen“ (The dog of that girl) is specific, while
„Der Hund von jemandem.“ „the dog of somebody“ doesn't tell us anything about the owner of the dogs except that he or she is owning a dog.


And then there is this thing with the given names. If the is a name after it, it is always von and not „vom“ or „von der“.
So it is „Von Schmied“ if the breeder's name is Schmied but it is „vom Schmied“ if the breeder's profession is being a smith.
That's why in kennel names „Von Waldhof“ (of Forest Farm) is right because it is the name of the farm where they breed as well as „Vom Waldhof“ (of the forest farm) hen the farm the kennel is located is actually in a forest.



*according to my dictionary "hurst" is a little forest. so it would be "Hag", "wald"/"Wäldchen" (little forest) or "Forst".
how ever i think that the "hurst" looks a lot like a "Horst" which is the nest of a bird of prey. and a Hawk/habicht is such bird, so that would fit to.
 
#68 ·
@SpookyShepherd: Sorry that din't answer your question at all.

since Hawkhurst is a given name it would be "Von Hawkhurst" if you want to translate it could be something like "Vom Habichtswäldchen"...the original hawkhurst sounds much more badass though. :D
 
#69 ·
Hi

I´ve read the entire thread, but my doubt persists

If I want to name my Kennel with my lastname

What would be right to use, von or vom?

1) Kennel VOM/VON HAUS NASGUEWEITZ

2) Kennel VOM/VON NASGUEWEITZ

in the two cases above, what should I use? VOM or VON?

I hope you guys can help me with this

Thanks a lot
.
 
#70 ·
Not too long ago I purchased an AKC/UKC American Eskimo Dog from Amar's Kennels.

Here's how we worked it out. The breeder required us to begin with Amar's.

The Sire is Amar's Dangerous Dan, The Dam SR Touching Fame. (or Touching Flame via AKC)

We named Kizzy , Amar's Dangerous Flame to honor her parents, and kennel.

In regards to your own kennel name. If you do have a full registration, and have a litter of pups that are either UKC or AKC, or Both (Or CKC, ETC) Then you would begin your own kennel.

In regards to being a registered breeder, breeder of merit, or other titles given by different clubs, that varys.

My breeder would only allow me full registration if I agreed to show my dog. Others offer limited (Like I'm working with now), for two years, and offer to switch to full if you meet the requirements of genetic screening for various defects. This breeder is concerned for the well being of the breed. No full registration if they do not meet health requirements.

I hope this comes in handy. I've been researching. Would like to breed eventually.

I currently have a 3 mos old GSD, but due to the breeder having complications getting the sire's papers; she will not be a breeding candidate.
 
#71 ·
I think this is as complicated as English!!!! My kennel name was done by a veterinarian friend from Germany....native speaker...we were going for an idea that followed suite of my horses names (Sheer Fantasy and Heir of Dreams - mother and daughter)....and wanted to incorporate "Wolf"....Fantasy was way too unwieldy, so we went with Dream...

I have now had several native speaking Germans tell me I should have used "vom" and others said "von" is right....

Lee
 
#81 · (Edited)
Not a native speaker but I believe the confusion is that you have four forms that are potentially valid, depending if dream is definite or indefinite, and plural or singular:
Von Wolfstraum = Of [a] Wolf's dream (indefinite/singular)
Von Wolfsträume = Of [a] Wolf's dreams (indefinite/plural)
Vom Wolfstraum = Of [the] Wolf's dream (definite/singular)
Von Den Wolfsträume = Of [the] Wolf's dreams (definite/plural)

(German with its cases and gender is very precise; in English these things are simply left ambiguous and an exercise for the reader to guess at and argue over. Also lets German get away with those compound nouns. Dutch is a curious hybrid that dropped most of the complexity but still keeps some of the old stuff around like, Des Gravenhage, lit. of the Count's hedge, in translation, The Hague)
 
#72 · (Edited)
wolfstraum I have now had several native speaking Germans tell me I should have used "vom" and others said "von" is right....[/QUOTE said:
What a great name! Your informants' native speaker intuition was right on both counts because both options are the same and only differ in terms of whether a contraction is used (just like you can say is not OR isn't)
- von is right because it's "von dem Wolfstraum" [der Traum, masc noun changes to dem]
- vom is right because it's simply the contracted form of "Von dem Wolfstraum" [von+dem = vom]

The simple truth is there is just ONE "V" word and it is VON!
But it comes along in various combinations:
- von - by itself, e.g. with just a family name (no article)
- von + dem (= vom) as the contracted version with masculine nouns (i.e. 'von' is still hidden in there).
- von der / von den (where you can't contract with feminine or plural nouns following, otherwise you'd get von+der=*vonr or von+den = *vonn - which would be a bit like I am not = I amn't,
)

In answer to Nasq's question therefore:

1) Kennel VOM/VON HAUS NASGUEWEITZ > Vom = von dem Haus

2) Kennel VOM/VON NASGUEWEITZ > Von = e.g. if Nasgueweitz is a family name

Clear as mud, isn't it?

Ute
 
#73 ·
LMAO my german grandma is going to have a field day when I tell her my dog's name then...I "think" I got it right, but totally by accident. Since Lena was an accidental litter, she did not have a kennel name so she is now Von Mozart's Lena. My mother was a music major and Mozart is one of her favorite composers (and mine also). Oh well, she is just Lena Bean to me! lol
 
#74 ·
Curious

at some point in my life, I'm hoping to start my own breeding kennel. I've been doing lots of research, etc. It's not my first paper route, however, I won't breed unless I make sure all necessary lines, temperaments, etc are as perfect as I can get.
All that being said, I'm wondering if I got my girl's name correct. I was attempting to honor both parents lines, in her case. I'll be getting a pup in the fall, his dam is from one of the same lines as my girl, his sire is from completely different line. I haven't yet picked out a name for him.....Breeder of both my pups has given me carte blanche on the names.

My female is Storm Front's Gräfin Dita von Strait - call name Dita. Is this correct?
Storm Front is a direct ancestor, Gräfin in keeping with the name theme back in her line (king, princess, queen, etc), Dita an ancestor of her sire's line. Strait is my last name.

I want to use the name Strongheart in my males name somehow, as he (and my girl btw) are direct descendants of that amazing dog and I wish to honor him (Etzel von Oeringen). Is this ok? I don't want to insult, upset, or be considered in bad form in any sense, but I so want to honor their ancestors as well. Granted, I know that it's up to me to make sure that my pups do them proud :)

I think this thread has helped in such that I understand about naming the initial dogs, potential sire & dam, and I'll be able to attach my kennel name (which I haven't decided on yet) to the pups I breed. Am I correct in my understanding this?
Oh goodness - I am sorry for the long, confusing post, but hopefully someone will understand what I'm getting at. LOL
 
#75 ·
The name of the dog doesn't really matter as long as you have a pedigree. So you don't need the other breeders name on your dog. The breeder will tell you if they want you to use the kennel name or if they don't care.

The line is traced with the pedigree and not always with the kennel name or the current dog's name.

For example...my dog is vom X, if I breed her, I will be able to put my kennel name on the puppies, there doesn't have to be any reference to vom X. The way people figure out what lines the puppies come from, is to look at their pedigrees.
 
#77 ·
So if I purchased my pup from kennel name "C Acres" and I live next to a "Bow Creek" could I properly name my pup "C Acre's blah vom Bow Creek" or does it have to be "Bow Creek's blah vom C Acres" or should Bow Creek not be in there at all because he was not bred at "Bow Creek" that only if he were to have offspring they would have Bow Creek in their name?
 
#79 ·
It doesn't really make sense to use a German preposition with English words, so I would use "from" or "of". Generally the dog carries the kennel name of the breeder, unless the dog was co-bred.
 
#80 ·
It is 'der Wächter' in German for 'the guardian'. Umlaut. "Der' is the masculine definite article, 'das' the neutral, 'die' the feminine. Native speaker here :)

As Liesje said about not using German prepositions with English terms. You can but it's odd.

In England and in some American show lines I have seen the kennel that owns a dog add their name to the breeders' kennel name, e.g. "Clayfield Woodside Texaco" or "Woodside Fire Opal of Geyer" in the US, or "Alkarah's All American [with Strco]' in the UK. This is not permitted in the German SV system. It makes names awfully long and is potentially confusing. I don't like it but one can with AKC, CKC, and KC.
 
#82 ·
LOL Thanks for the info!!! Seems it is (can be considered!) correct....and there were 4 correct choices so everyone who argued with me about it has had cause - sorta! Several non GSD people who I have known who were from Germany, as well as a couple of judges/wives, have told me they really like the name!

Lee
 
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