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USC Illuminated Medieval Manuscripts

Grietken Baeckx

A surprising diversity of diminutive suffixes used in women’s names can be found In medieval Germanic dialects (including Dutch ones from the Low Countries, because of their close kinship with Low German suffixes). German feminine nicknames were formed, for the most part, by adding such diminutive suffixes. These diminutive suffixes varied by dialect and by region, making it possible to identify, sometimes with a high level of precision, where a name came from on the basis of the type of suffix that it uses.

“In the Low Countries, we can see examples such as Saerken (from Sara), Aelken (from Alice), Neelken (from Cornelia), Claerken (from Clara), Grietken (from Margaret), Mariken (from Mary) …”
(See: Sara L. Uckelman, “Nicknames: Feminine Diminutive Suffixes in Medieval German,” Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, December 11, 2015.

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Since the manuscript annotations inside of the book cover’s back board state that the book belonged to Grietken Baeckx, who lived in Groot Begijnhof in Ghent, we can also identify her as Margaret Baeckx.

Danielle Mihram, October 2020.

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Owners of Book of hours, use of Netherlands
Owners

Belonged to a woman, Grietken Baeckx of Groot Begijnhoff van Leuven, Netherlands.
Provenance
Herman H. J. Lynge & Son; 2011. Listed by Lynge & Son in:
44th California International Antiquarian Book Fair (February 11th-13th [2011]). Short-title List, p. 22:
"LIVRE D'HEURES - (BOOK OF HOURS).
Illuminated Latin manuscript on vellum.
(ca. 1450). Fully complete book of hours on vellum with calendar and 6 beautifully designed, illuminated and coloured full-page miniatures. With contemporary manuscript annotations on inside of back board stating that the book belonged to Grietken Baeckx, who lived in "Groot Begijnhof" in Ghent, to which city the calendar also points….”