The names given to the children of the peoples of the North Caucasus are homogeneous. They were formed on the basis of principles similar to all mountain peoples. However, each people of the Caucasus has its own traditions when choosing a name for a newborn. In this article, we will look at how the Ossetian names for boys and girls came about and what they mean. We will also tell you which are the most popular and frequently used.
How did the ancient Ossetian names come about
All the names of this people are divided into three large groups. The formation of these groups was greatly influenced by various factors, for example, religion, the seizure of territories by other peoples. The first group includes national names that are associated with the heroes and characters of the Alan epic.
The second group includes such ancient names, the emergence of which is due to the fact that Christianity developed. When they were formed, two forms appeared at once: both Russian and Georgian. These include the following names: Michal, Dimitar, Vano, Vaso, Ilia and others. Many names are still popular today.
The third group includes such names which were formed under the influence of the Muslim religion. Almost all of them were of Arab origin (Murat, Alikhan, Amina, Muslim), as well as Turkic (Dengiz, Uzbek, Abai). Many Ossetian names taken from the Iranian peoples, who are considered the ancestors of the Ossetians (Alan, Alana, Roksolan, Roksolana, Sarmat).
Beautiful Ossetian names for girls
Thus we see that Ossetian female names are beautiful not only in sound but also in meaning.
Ossetian male names and their meanings
Names for boys, modern and ancient, are associated with all sorts of legends and myths. This is a list of such names:
The names that can be found in Ossetia can be divided into three large groups:
- national, formed from the Nart epic;
- created under the influence of the development of Christianity in the region;
- who came to Ossetia under the influence of the development of the Muslim religion.
The first group can also be described as primordially Ossetian names, which were developed thanks to several branches:
- Names derived from Ossetian words. For example, Zarina is one of the common names that have survived to this day, meaning "gold".
- Adverbs that have lost their true meaning.
- Names that change under the influence of Ossetian dialects.
- Those names that were created under the influence of religions are considered borrowed. The Ossetian language belongs to the Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages, but it was influenced by the Caucasian dialects, and the names of the children changed along with the language. Names that appeared under the influence of Christianity often have Russian and Georgian pronunciations (Vaso - Ossetian, Vanya - Russian, Vano - Georgian).
The distribution of names is also affected by the course of history, and over time, the popularity of a given name may change. The rich culture of the Ossetians spread the names beyond the borders of the Republic. Every year more and more female names characteristic of Ossetian culture can be found in large regions of Russia.
Naming tradition in Ossetia
Since ancient times, the custom of naming has been adopted in Ossetia. A boy is named by a man, and a girl by a woman. It is chosen not just on the basis of its beauty, but is largely determined by the fate of the child and the assumption of his future. So, for example, in Ossetia there are many names that are customary to give in cases where the child is long-awaited, who has not appeared in the family for a long time.
Even before the birth of the baby, the parents took a responsible approach to the choice of a woman who would name the born girl. More often it was a woman close to the family. The person who gave the name to the baby was forever considered the patron of the child, relative and guardian.
Realizing all the mystery and deep meaning of the name of the child, parents gave the baby two names: home and social. This tradition has been preserved in many families to this day. The home name was more often given by women, as it meant something affectionate, tender. It was kept a great secret and was available only to the closest: parents and close relatives.
The tradition of hiding names resonates in many peoples of the world. Thanks to the home name, the Ossetians believed that this is how evil spirits bypass the baby, taking illnesses and misfortunes from him.
How to name a daughter: a list of modern options
rare and beautiful
In Ossetia, there is a large selection of the most beautiful names for girls. It is because of the diversity of names that some are forgotten and gradually become a thing of the past. Among the rare beautiful female names today you can find many unusual ones and many of them have already lost their meaning, but still they still resonate in the hearts of some Ossetians.
Ossetian names have their roots in the ancient Cimmerians, Scythians, Persians and Arabs. Highlighting the peculiarity of the origin of the names of Ossetians, two main trends can be distinguished. The first is the names that were borrowed from other peoples (mainly the Northern Iranian family) and their own Ossetian naming dialect, which finds consonance and explanation in the names of our ancestors.
The borrowing of Ossetian names occurred from the Greeks, Romans, Indians, Chinese, Armenians, Syrians, Europeans and Arabs. Today, parents often give their sons Russian names.
But Ossetian names have not received much distribution in the world. It is quite rare to meet a boy with an original Ossetian name in a neighboring republic. Most often, such a name is given in families where both parents belong to the Alans.
How are they chosen?
Often enough the name of the boy is chosen in accordance with his "speaking" characteristics. By the way, unlike many other peoples who try to give their children names with positive characteristics, the Alans, giving their children obviously not harmonious names, tried to mislead the forces of evil, and thereby, isolate their son from them.
A child in Ossetia is most often given two names. The first is home, which is used exclusively within the family. The second is social, indicated in all official documents.
The name of the boy is given exclusively by a man. This may be the father, grandfather, uncle, or someone who is not related to the newborn. The person who bestowed the name was considered among the Ossetians as a relative, guardian and patron for life. Until the 18th century, the Ossetians kept the “home” name given to the child a secret, thereby trying to deceive evil spirits, illnesses and misfortunes.
List of modern variants, their meaning and origin
Ossetian names carry a special nobility and masculinity. A boy with that name will inherit all the best features of the Caucasian people. Therefore, if you want your son to be bold and decisive, then such a name will be an excellent choice for a future man. Here are lists of modern, most beautiful and rare Ossetian male names, as well as their meaning and origin.
Rare, most beautiful
- abar- "a free, freedom-loving person."
- Abeak- "worshiping the goddess of the Scythians."
- Abrozeo- "aspiring to the sky, freedom-loving person."
- Avshin- "the master, the one who subjugates himself."
- agar- "excessive, taking a lot from life."
- Aji- "the ruler who knows no rest."
- Ardonast- "going in all directions, eight-armed."
- Ashhart- "valiant war."
- Gau- "strong as a bull."
- Kasak- "watchful, attentive scout."
- Omrasmak- "pilot, hospitable host."
- Palak- "heir to all property."
- Harasp- "having seven horses, a rich man."
Names of Ossetian origin:
Popular
Names of Scythian origin:
Names of Ossetian origin.
The Ossetian language belongs to the Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. While retaining the linguistic features that make it related to the indicated languages, including Russian, it was influenced by the Caucasian languages. This was reflected in the Ossetian proper names.
Ossetian proper names can be divided into three groups according to their origin.
The first group consists of native Ossetian names. Some of them are easy to identify, as they have retained their connection with individual words in the modern language: Akhsar"courage", Saukydze"black Dog", 3arete"sing" Cafete"dance" 3eline, Zerine"gold", Avdan"we are seven" Saukizge"black girl"
However, the meaning of most of the original Ossetian names is difficult or impossible to explain from the modern Ossetian language. These names include: Acex , Gabo, De6e, Dekka, Khazby, Xetag, Pese and etc.
It is possible that most of them were inherited from the languages of those peoples with whom the ancestors of the Ossetians communicated in antiquity. It is also likely that some of these words once sounded somewhat different.
However, it is not so much the sound of the names that changes, but their composition. Many names cease to be used with the change of generations. Others appear with the advent of new generations.
The differences between the Ossetian dialects - Iron and Digor - were also reflected in proper names, which led to the appearance of two variants of some names. For example, Iron. Chermen, Chabekhan, bachce and Digorsk. Kermen, Kiabehan, Bakke and others. Some of these names are included in the list in both versions.
The second group consists of names associated with the Christian religion. Christianity, apparently, spread among the ancestors of the Ossetians as early as the 10th century. However, the mass introduction of Ossetians to Christianity is observed at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries.
Ossetians were baptized by Georgian and Russian missionaries. And therefore, Christian canonical names spread in Ossetia in two forms: Georgian and Russian.
In the Georgian language form, such names as wano(Ivan), Vaso(Basil), Nino(Nina), etc. Names are also borrowed from Georgian Zurap, Vakhtang, Taimuraz, Kosta and others. Especially many Georgian names can be found among South Ossetians.
An example of Christian proper names adopted by the Ossetians through the Russian language can be Alyksandyr(Alexander), Geor(George), Kharityon(Khariton), Ire(Irina), Xenia(Ksenia), Lezinka(Elizabeth), Nadia(Hope), Rimme(Rimma), Serafin(Seraphim), Welinka(Olga) and others.
The third large group of Ossetian names is associated in origin with the Muslim religion, which spread in the North Caucasus in the 14th-15th centuries. and also covered part of the North Ossetians.
Muslim in origin (i.e., from the Arabic language) is a significant part of the Ossetian proper names: Alikhan, Amyrkhan, Ilas, Islam, Mayram, Mehemet, Murat, Mycse, Umar, Khadzymet, Khajumar, Aminem, Zamiret, Madinet, Meretkhan, Raziat. Farizet. Famymet, Hadizet and etc.
This group of names is characterized by the fact that many of them entered the Ossetian language through a number of neighboring languages (mainly Ka6ardino-Circassian, Karachay-Balkarian, Chechen, Ingush, etc.). Traces of this in some names have survived to this day. Yes, in names. Afehyo, Dekhtsykhyo, Sozyrykhyo etc. the final element is taken from the Kabardian-Circassian, where it means "son". In many others ( Alikhan, Amyrkhan, Khanjeri, Daukhan, Di6ekhan, Dunetkhan, Zenetkhan, Zelimkhan, Koserkhan, Zalikhan) we have an element - khan- a well-known Turkic word with the meaning "ruler", "feudal lord", "prince". This word is attached to both Muslim and other names (male and female).
Another Turkic word bek, which has roughly the same meaning as khan, is part of many male names: Zaurbeg, Meirbeg, Hadzybechir, Khazybeg, Khauyrbeg and etc.
In male names, associated in their origin with the Muslim world, one more Turkic element is quite often found - bolat"steel": Akhbolat, Bimbolam; Bolam, Dzambolat, Khasbolat, Khambolat and etc.
The most significant for female names that have retained their original Arabic sound. is the ending - this: Aminet, Asiet, Afinet, Zamiret, Misuret, Fatymet and others
Our task is to select from a large number of Ossetian names the most common, most euphonious and recommend them to the Ossetian people.
Ossetian names. Male names
|
Abkhaz |
Znaur |
Ossetian names. Women's names
|
Agunda |
Mayan |
The influence of the Caucasian languages was strongly reflected in the Ossetian names. At the same time, referring to the Indo-European languages, the Ossetian language still retains linguistic features that make it related to the Russian language. Personal Ossetian names can be divided into three groups.
It is customary to refer to the first group of native Ossetian names. Such names differ from others in that they contain components that have a connection with words in the modern Ossetian language. For example, Saukydze - "black dog", 3arete - "sing".
A number of names come from ethnonyms, since in ancient times the Ossetians attached magical significance to the names of localities and tribes. Another category of names came from the ancient totemic beliefs of the Ossetians. Also, a number of names originate from toponyms.
At the same time, most of the original Ossetian names have a difficult to distinguish meaning. For some of the names, based on the modern Ossetian language, the meaning can no longer be determined. Such names include the names Aseh, Gabo and others.
There is an assumption that such names were inherited from the languages of those peoples with whom the Ossetians communicated in the distant past. In addition, in ancient times, these names could sound differently. The old names, which are gradually becoming obsolete, are being replaced by new names. So, due to the existing difference between the two Ossetian dialects, several variants of some names appeared. For example, Chermen - Kermen, Chabekhan - Kiabekhan and others.
Some social terms have become names. For example, Barine comes from the Russian word "lady"; Bibi - from the Turkic "bibi" ("lady"). Many female names originate from the names of precious stones and metals.
The second group of Ossetian names consists of names associated with Christianity. Ossetians were baptized by both Russian and Georgian missionaries. Thus, the canonical Christian names were distributed in Ossetia in both Russian and Georgian forms. So the names of Vano, Vaso, Nino and others were established in the Georgian form. Also, the names Zurap, Vakhtang, etc. were borrowed from Georgian. Most Georgian names can be found among South Ossetians.
The names Alyksandyr, Geor, Ire, Lezinka and others were borrowed from the Russian language and then modified.
The third group includes names that are associated with the Muslim religion in their origin. Islam spread in the Caucasus in the 14-15 centuries and covered part of the North Ossetians. Thus, a significant part of personal names, which became traditionally Ossetian, came to the Ossetians from the Arabic language. Such names include Alikhan, Ilas, Murat and others.
A characteristic feature of this group is that many names of the group entered the Ossetians through the languages of neighboring peoples - Chechens, Ingush, Circassians and others. From this, traces of their origin have been preserved in a number of names. For example, the names Afehyo, Sozyryhyo have a final element, meaning "son" in the Kabardian-Circassian naming.
A large number of names have the ending "-khan", which have Turkic roots and mean "ruler". This ending is often attached not only to Muslim, but also to other names, both male and female. Another Turkic word "bek", which is part of many male names, has a similar meaning.
Male names of Muslim origin often have another Turkic element in their composition - “bolat”, meaning “steel”. For example, Akhbolat, Dzambolat and others.
For female names that have retained their original Arabic sound, the ending “-et” is characteristic. For example, Aminet, Zamiret, Afinet and others.
Names of Muslim origin include Turkic and Mongolian names (Abai, Dengiz, Uzbek, etc.), Arabic names (Ali, Muslim, Amina, etc.), Persian names (Ziba, Iran, Rustem, etc.).
As in other languages, along with the official names in the speech of Ossetians, there are also their diminutive forms, nicknames and pseudonyms. Diminutive names were most often given to their children by mothers. From this, such names have a name - “mady nom” or “mother's name”. Most of these names are formed by abbreviations of official names. At the same time, their reduction is free. Often you can find different abbreviations of the same names. For example, the affectionate diminutive forms of Baegi, Bri and Ibri refer to the same name - Ibrahim.
Diminutive names are not always associated with full official names. In some cases, they are formed from common nouns. So, they can be formed from words that arise in children's speech. Modern affectionate diminutive names are formed by the means of the Russian language, namely the suffixes "-ka", "-ochka" and others.
In the Ossetian language there is no clear division of names into male and female. Some names are allocated to one category or another according to their semantics. For example, Shaukuydz or Almakhshit are considered as masculine names, and Ashi or Zalinae as feminine. A large number of names are called both boys and girls.
Under the influence of the Russian language, female names began to be formed from male ones with the help of the ending "-a" or "-ae". For example, Alan-Alanae, Kim-Kimae and others.
Patronymic, adopted by Russians and a number of other peoples, is not common among Ossetians. In the family circle, even deep old people are not called by name and patronymic. Old people are usually called "dada" or "woman". It is customary to address men of the older generation by their first names, and when addressing unfamiliar men, “noe fidy hai letters” is added to the name, which means “part of our father.” “Nana” or “datsy” are addressed to old women, and when addressing an unfamiliar elderly woman, it is customary to add “nae mady hai letters” (“part of our mother”).
On solemn occasions, patronymics can be expressed in two ways. In the first case, the father's name is taken in the genitive case, followed by the word "firt" (son) or "chyzg" (daughter), and then the name of the person in question. For example, "Daebusy firt Soltan" should be understood as "Soltan son of Dabush".
In the second variant, first the name of the person in question is called, then in the genitive case the name of his father, and after the word "firt" or "chyzg". For example, Soltan Daebusy firth.
