Kim → So, most people (if not all) that speaking to me and also confused or wondering how I came to have a name that is basically, Korean.
- The story, in short, is that many generations back my great-grandfather (not sure how many “great-grand….”) that lived in eastern Europe and worked in textile (“Fabrics” industry), changed the family name according to some kind of a fabric called “Kemlin” (perhaps this word origins is of an eastern language, Russian or Polish, languages, possibly) by subtracting it to “Kem”. Later, perhaps due to language pronunciation differences the “Kem” family name when pronounce was sounded in a way that “e” became “i” and therefore “Kim”.
- On my great-grandfather tombstone is written “קעמם” (in Yiddish) whish is “Kemm”.
- When my grandfather did “Aliyah” relocated to Israel (Then, “British Mandatory Palestine”) he wanted to change his “Kim” family name to a Hebrew/Israeli name but the immigration clerk told him that there is no need because it is already in Hebrew.
- Kim origins come from the idiom “Kim Li” (also, “Kim Lei” “Kim Lei Be’Deraba Minei”) from the Jewish doctrine (‘law’ or ‘Halakha’). “Kim Li” (sometimes “Qim Li”) is a claim (plea) that only works for the person who has possession of the money or object in dispute – If plaintiff (prosecutor) is suing (prosecute) in a seized money or items under dispute, the defendant (accused) can come before the judge and say (claim) “Kim Li” – His opinion (verdict) as to whether or not he is in the right, the “Kim Li” will work in his favor (the defendant favor). Though, it will only going to work (claim could be used) under the circumstances of:
- It is up to the plaintiff to to prove his rightness while the burden of proof will not fall upon the defendant that can simply say “Kim Li”. The plaintiff is therefore need to show evidence without question is beyond “the benefit of the doubt”.
- The defendant can claim “Kim Li” in dissenting opinion, not as an ‘individual’ (single) opinion but as a ‘minority opinion’ against majority opinion.
- The meaning in Hebrew that originates from the Aramaic language – Kim (Hebrew: קים ) The meaning is “I hold of…” / “I am sure that…“ / “It’s clear to me…“ / “I am of this opinion“. So, for simplicity, when a defendant (with his ‘minority’ side) say “Kim Li” it means probably “this is belongs to and I am sure”.
- More recently (vaguely and maybe around 1990-2010) my father found out that there is a meaning to “Kim” (김) in Korean and it means “gold” in Chinese characters.
