Changes

The early Zuvelas were no time wasters. A Mr Antonio Xuvella in the 1640s was an owner of no less than 211 sheep. The Xuvellas moved to the near by village of Blato (then called Blatta) and bought houses and properties there.  

The early Zuvelas were no time wasters. A Mr Antonio Xuvella in the 1640s was an owner of no less than 211 sheep. The Xuvellas moved to the near by village of Blato (then called Blatta) and bought houses and properties there.  

For many centuries Romance Latin language called Dalmatian and the old Croatian Chakavian language were the norm on the island. With time these languages started to overlap. By the time Zuvelas arrived on the island the majority of the population of the island of Korčula (in particularly the west end) spoke old Croatian with a heavy mix of the Romance Dalmatian language, and with influences of Venetian.  So with time verbally Antonio would become '''Ante'''. Written language was a different story, Latin and Venetian were the standard written language back then so Antonio still existed in written form. It is quite possible that both verbally Antonio and Ante were used at first with Antonio slowly disappearing from local language. In 1797 the island of Korčula was no longer part of the Republic of Venice. The last Italian language government school was abolished in the town of Korčula on the 13th of September 1876.

For many centuries Romance Latin language called Dalmatian and the old Croatian Chakavian language were the norm on the island. With time these languages started to overlap. By the time Zuvelas arrived on the island the majority of the population of the island of Korčula (in particularly the west end) spoke ''old Croatian'' with a heavy mix of the Romance Dalmatian language, and with influences of Venetian.  So with time verbally Antonio would become '''Ante'''. Written language was a different story, Latin and Venetian were the standard written language back then so Antonio still existed in written form. It is quite possible that both verbally Antonio and Ante were used at first with Antonio slowly disappearing from local language. In 1797 the island of Korčula was no longer part of the Republic of Venice. The last Italian language government school was abolished in the town of Korčula on the 13th of September 1876.

Currently my thoughts on the actual word Xuvella as a surname might have been created with the Zuvelas arrival on the island in the early 1600s, which signalled a new fresh start for the family.  There is a theory that the Xuvellas were Spanish-Jews who were expelled in 1493 from Spain. From there they moved to northern Italy and then to the Republic of Venice. In that time period Jews did settle in Split (Spalato) as well as elsewhere within the Venetian Dalmatia province of which the island of Korčula was a part. To my knowledge Zuvelas have always been Catholics so at some stage they must have converted to a new faith and never looked back. In Spain, Jews who converted to Catholicism where called '''Converso'''<ref>https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/Marranos.html Christian-Jewish Relations:

Currently my thoughts on the actual word Xuvella as a surname might have been created with the Zuvelas arrival on the island in the early 1600s, which signalled a new fresh start for the family.  There is a theory that the Xuvellas were Spanish-Jews who were expelled in 1493 from Spain. From there they moved to northern Italy and then to the Republic of Venice. In that time period Jews did settle in Split (Spalato) as well as elsewhere within the Venetian Dalmatia province of which the island of Korčula was a part. To my knowledge Zuvelas have always been Catholics so at some stage they must have converted to a new faith and never looked back. In Spain, Jews who converted to Catholicism where called '''Converso'''<ref>https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/Marranos.html Christian-Jewish Relations:

Marranos, Conversos & New Christians</ref>. It is Interesting to note, Jew in old Venetian is xudio (abreo and sabadai were also used).

Marranos, Conversos & New Christians</ref>. It is Interesting to note, Jew in old Venetian is '''xudio''' (abreo and sabadai were also used).

== See also ==

== See also ==