>>It is Polish... the actual pronunciation would be more like pets-IN-a. My dad who used to be auburn haired, had a nickname in his youth: Red Piss-in-a-bed.
>>I keep telling myself that one of the advantages of having a name that is at first glance difficult to pronounce is that I almost always know when a sales person or charity is calling on the phone.
>
>Accidentally, "pećina" means cave in Serbian - not sure that it's in any way related to the Polish word. "Peć" is a furnace, which sounds like an ancient word, so there may be some cousin words related, but then maybe not.
>
>Try with a name which nobody knows how to pronounce - they all sound equally confused. Who knows, maybe they give up calling :).

Accidentally? :)

Piscina and piscine both translate to pool in Spanish and French respectively.

I vaguely recall my father once saying that Pecyna meant something like a lump of earth in a barn? (hopefully not from an animal)... I should ask him again.

And, I got the nickname peesh from pisciarella from some Italian housemates in university... translating to urinal or toilet.

I've been called worse, but hey this forum is rated G, no?

You see where I'm going with this? Don't mess with me, my origins don't seem entirely pleasant.

You have quite a handle yourself...my guess there is some Yugoslav in there although, that's where I stop... wouldn't want to label a Croat a Serb, or the other way around... it hurts-my-govina!

Ed