Meaning of the name Genkel

We've found two ways for interpreting the name Genkel. They are mutually exclusive, but possibly both are legitimated. So both ways are shown here.

1. A German lexicon of names, the Deutsches Namenlexikon, * explains:

Genke, Genkel (East German-Slavonic), also Genike, = Jenke, Jenike = Johannes

Jenke, Jenkel (often): East German-Slavonic abbreviated form of Johannes, together with patronymic Jenkner, also in place-names like Jenkau, Jenkewitz. cf. Jenco Pelca 1316 O/S. Jenko furman 1472 Görlitz

Johannes (Greek-Latin form of the Hebrew Jochanán „God is merciful“): meant is John the Baptist (Matth. II, V. II); all baptisteries were ordained to him. A lot of abbreviated forms support that Johannes was the most often used Christian name in the end of the Middle Ages.

2. Assuming the river and the village Genkel are original, there is following interpretation * of the name:

The name consists of a qualifying element and the Old High German word aha (= river, stream) as basic component. This basic component has kept alive within the South German language area as standalone word Ache and it's even contained in the latest Duden. The term is an included basic component of names of other rivers like Brigach, Salzach and Fulda as well. Because the term aha is of female gender, in the German language the name of the river Genkel is female too. This thesis is also supported by the early form of the name Jenkila (formed from Jenkil-aha).

In the opinion of local historians the starting G in the name Genkel is original and the name Jenkila is derived from it as a dialectal variant. Even if you spell Genkel, you would pronounce it as Jenkel regarding hundreds of years of long-established linguistic habit in the area around the Genkel river. The transformation of the guttural or velar sound g to a fricative either j or ch is customary in this linguistic area.

The qualifying elements in many names of rivers and towns are related to their natural environment and they are often based on very old field names. The field name Auf dem Gähen is of frequent occurrence in this region. It means a steep, downward sloping spot. This term is related to the New High German word jäh, which comes from the Old High German word gahi. Here you can notice the same change between g and j as in the name Genkel. The second part of the word must be the dialectal word Kuhle, which simply means hole but stands for mining areas of iron ore, too. So a productive iron ore-mine nearby Genkel was called Lollakuhle in former times. The vowel u in unstressed position will be toned down to e in accordance with a general rule. So the term Gahinkuhla has turned into Gehenkule, Genkul and finally to Genkel.

The name Genkel obviously means a steep, drop away hollow, from were the river with the same name rises.