I am looking for the meaning of the German word 'Fummer'. It occurs already in 1825 on a field map of the land registry. Any idea where I should search?
I have understood that you are living in the Dutch Sittard, which borders to the German Selfkant, where a street is found with the name 'In der Fummer.1 'Fummer' thereby seems to be a unique name in the whole of both Germany and the Netherlands.2 'Fummer' is also not in use as a word in German and Dutch, also not in a plausible original or derived form.3, 4
Possibly the word 'Fummer' came to being when a long 's' [written as 'ſ'] in the older German word for 'summer', 'summer' [nowadays: 'Sommer'], was read as an 'f'.5, 6 'In der Fummer' then would in that case mean originally 'in the summer'.
Another possibility is that 'Fummer' is a German corruption of the French word for manure and shit, 'fumier'.7 'In der Fummer' then would carry the meaning of 'in the shit'. And indeed does German know an expression like 'In der Scheiße', meaning literally 'In the shit' and figuratively 'In trouble'.
The above theory is backed by the given that a nearby street carries the name of 'Rosenweg' [English: 'Rose Road'],8 for who thinks of roses, thinks of the manure it needs.9 And not for nothing does the municipality of Selfkant, following the place Millen which falls under that municipality, have roses in its heraldry.10
Now the French 'fumier' is thought to be derived from the Latin 'fimum', which carries a same meaning.11, 12 The root 'fum' occurs both in Latin and French often in words that have a relation with smoke and scent, both unpleasant and pleasant, and knows for instance also a derivative in the English 'fume'.13, 14, 15 And in this sense 'In der Fummer' could also mean 'in the nebula'.
Now the name of another nearby street regards 'Im Blumental' [English: 'In the Flower Valley']16 and together with the consideration of the emphasis on roses in Selfkant it is then not unreasonable to presuppose that 'Fummer' in the regarded street name refers to a flower fragrance, a perfume, giving then 'In der Fummer' the meaning of 'in the flower fragrance'.
In particular could 'Fummer' in the aforementioned street name then refer to the general occurring plant [common] fumitory. This plant is in Dutch also called 'aardrook' and in German 'Erdrauch' [English: 'earth smoke'] and carries the Latin genus name 'Fumaria'.17, 18 'In der Fummer' then would carry the meaning of 'in the fumitory'.
It is interesting that in German fumitory also knows the name 'Feldraute' [English: field rue].19 This is interesting because the German 'Raute' is a general name for the plant [common] rue [more specific in German: 'Weinraute'].20 This rue was by the Romans used as flavoring for certain wines, but wines were also given flavor by smoking them in a special space, and this space carried the Latin name 'fūmārium'.21, 22 This line of thought then leads to considering 'In der Fummer' in the meaning of 'in the fumarium', where then perhaps liquors were flavored with the smoking of fumitory.
So when in old times at the regarded location liquors were smoked, then 'In der Fummer' may carry the meaning of 'in the fumarium'. When there however such activities never took place but the plant fumitory, Fumaria, did thrive abundantly, the street name may carry the meaning of 'in the fumitory'. And if it was not specifically this fumitory which grew there but random fragrant flowers, then the street name may still carry the meaning of 'in the flower fragrance'. And even if none of the aforementioned was the case, then ultimately the street name could mean 'in the summer'. And who knows did at the regarded location in the summer grow fragrant Fumaria flowers which were used for the flavoring of liquor in a fumarium. Less flowery then is the thought that the street name simply refers to a nebulous or even shitty place. But in the latter case 'In der Fummer' may be nourishing for the rose flowering of Selfkant.