In the modern meaning familiar to us, this is a component of the naming of each person, which he receives from his parents. It gives information about its belonging to a particular genus. However, the meaning of the surname is not limited to this. This, as well as its origin, structure, history will be discussed in this article. Let's start with the meaning of the last name in the dictionary.
Dictionary interpretation
What is a surname? The definition of this word in the dictionary is as follows:
- The naming of a person, which is inherited and added to a personal name in order to indicate belonging to a family. (Interestingly, in the city of Taganrog Rostov region a person lives with rare surname, which begins with the letter "y" - this is the surname Yunpuu.)
- The same as the genus - in the sense of the totality of generations that come from a single ancestor. (You know that our neighbors Obolensky belong to one of the ancient noble families?)
- IN obsolete value- family, family. (The Oleinikovs, a large couple, marched decorously along the path at the head of their entire glorious family.)
Synonyms and origin
To better understand the question of what a surname is, consider synonyms for it and understand the origin. Synonyms for the word are: clan, clan, family, cell of society. Among hypernyms (similar in meaning, but of a more general nature of words) one can single out: denomination, name, naming, group.
The word takes its origin from the Latin familia, which means household and servants. There it was formed from the word famulus meaning "servant, servant." More deeply, scientists failed to trace the origin of the word "surname". From Latin it passed into Polish in the meaning of "family, genus" and in German - in the meaning of "family". It is believed that it migrated to the Russian language from one of two specified languages.
Set expressions
Continuing to study the question of what a surname is, it should be noted that in the Russian language there are a number of stable combinations with this and the adjective "family" formed from it, which include:
- Maiden name (Bers - such is maiden name Sophia Andreevna - wife of Count Leo Tolstoy).
- Horse surname - catchphrase and psychic phenomenon. Begins in short story of the same name A.P. Chekhov. It is used when some name or surname literally spins on the tip of the tongue, but cannot come to mind. Sometimes this phenomenon is called "presquevu" - from the French presque vu, which means "almost seen" (Chekhov's story "Horse Family", written as an anecdote, was published in the "Petersburg newspaper" in 1885 with the subtitle "Scene").
- Family coat of arms - a kind of emblems, which is a pictorial identification mark of a family, clan (In the pre-industrial period, family coats of arms acted as a warning system "friend or foe").
- - memorabilia great importance family and passed down from generation to generation (as family heirlooms these people are not so much jewels as impeccable upbringing, good education and high morality).
- Pater familias is a term used in jurisprudence for a patriarchal Roman family, where the father of the family was, as they say, a king and a god. He had power not only over property, but also over the lives of households (If in the Roman pater familias a husband convicted his wife of treason, he had to divorce her, otherwise he could be accused of pimping).
Structure and occurrence
For a better understanding of the meaning of the surname, consider the structure of this concept. First of all, the surname consists of a root stem, which has or had in the past a certain lexical meaning. And also it can include prefixes, suffixes, endings.
Often the basis of the surname originates from a personal name or nickname, which carries some lexical meaning. Prefixes and endings in surnames, as a rule, mean the word "son" or "daughter" - translated into the original language. Or they are an indication of possession, belonging to a place, form adjective forms.
On the example of Russian surnames, it looks like this. They mainly came from patronymics: Sergey - Sergeev son - Sergeev; Volchok (nickname) - Volchkov's son - Volchkov. Somewhat rarer is the variant of origin from the name of the area: Zavolzhsky - from beyond the Volga, Belotserkovsky - from Belaya Tserkov. And also the surnames come from the occupation: Bondarenko - from the cooper, Tokarev - from the turner, Pisarev - from the clerk.
Division into male and female
At the end of the consideration of the meaning of the word “surname”, it is worth noting that in Russian (as well as in several other Slavic languages), as well as in Latvian and Lithuanian, there is a difference between female and male surnames in form. For example, in Russian: Abrikosov - Abrikosova, Naumov - Naumova, Kholodov - Kholodova.
This is due to the morphological features of the language. And also surnames can have different forms for unmarried and married women. An example is famous singer Christina Orbakaite. Her father's surname is Orbakas, and his wife's is Orbakene. Icelanders do not have surnames at all, the patronymics used instead for men end in -sson (son), and for women in -dottir (daughter).
VISHNITSKY - VISHNIK - CHERRY GARDEN
I was a reader and subscriber of the journal "Science and Life" back in Soviet times. Now I have the opportunity to read the electronic version of my favorite magazine, which I do with pleasure. And now the question. Where did my last name come from? I've read a lot, but I haven't seen anything about her anywhere. Is it related to the surname Vishnevsky?
V. Vishnitsky (Sumy, Ukraine).
Surname Vishnitsky derived from Ukrainian word vishnik - The Cherry Orchard . Nickname Vishnik could get a person whose garden was especially large and good. The descendants of such a person are called Vishnitsky. When word formation consonants To And c alternate.
Surname Vishnevsky derived from a geographical name. There are many places in Ukraine, from the names of which this surname could have come out: Vishnev, Cherry , Cherry , Vishnevka , Vyshnevets , Vishnevo, Cherry .
PRILUTSKY - FROM THE VILLAGE OF PRILUKY
I have long wanted to ask you to explain the meaning and origin of our surname. Ancestors lived in the city of Rivne, which is located in the north-west of Ukraine. Perhaps the surname comes from the name of the city of Lutsk, adjacent to the Rivne region? Often our surname is mistakenly written with an "and": Prilutsky.
I also ask Dr. philological sciences Superanskaya to explain the origin of the names of our relatives: Dubina, Savochenko (the surname Savchenko is more common) and Temchenko.
Regular subscriber and problem solver of the sections "Mathematical Leisure" and "Psychological Practice" I. Prelutsky (St. Petersburg).
Surnames on -sky/-sky most often formed from geographical names. In Brest, Grodno, Minsk, Chernihiv, as well as Arkhangelsk, Vologda and a number of other regions settlements with the title Pryluky where the surname comes from Prilutsky. There is a village in the Novgorod region Pereluchi, in Pskov - pereluchye. From these names, the surname would be Perelutsky . Similar titles - Priluka, Pryluky(in Polish pronunciation Pshiluka, Pshiluki) is found in Poland. The surname is also derived from them. Prilutsky(in Polish pronunciation Pshilutsky). But along with this, the Poles fix the spelling variant Prelutsky. Perhaps somewhere there was such a "literate" clerk who believed that one should write through e, not through And.
Surname cudgel with emphasis on And repeats the old Russian nickname without any changes. Compare common surname Dubinin derived from nickname cudgel.
Surname Savochenko comes from one of the Ukrainian colloquial forms church name Sava (Savva) - Savochko. Ukrainian dictionary notes the emphasis Savo "chenko.
Surname Temchenko formed from one of the colloquial variants of the church name Timothy. The Ukrainian dictionary notes a rare form of this name Temokhfey, whence the abbreviated forms Subject, Temka and last name Temchenko.
Forms with e instead of And also noted among the Poles. Short form Temo entered the documents in 1242, the surname was later attested Temkovich, confirming the presence of an option Temko, from which the surname could also be formed Temchenko during the resettlement of the so-called person to Ukraine.
UTYUMOV - ON BEHALF OF USTIN
In the magazine I really like the column "Origin of names and surnames". Therefore, I decided to turn to Mrs. Superanskaya: I would like to know about the origin of the surnames Shanchurov (there is also the surname Shanshurov in our city) and Utyumov (we have a whole village with such a surname).
L. Utyumova (Revda, Sverdlovsk region).
Surnames Shanchurov , Shanshurov surnames are not found in any dictionary. There are similar surnames - Shamshurov. They are associated with the verb to shamble- to whisper shamble- mumble, slur, speak with a word shamshura- burry. But I don't think any explanation fits your last name.
According to my information, the surnames you are interested in are formed from folk colloquial forms of personal names: Shanchurov And Shanshurov- on behalf of Alexander through options Sanya - Sancha - Sanchur - Shanchur - Shanshur. Utyumov- on behalf of Ustin through options Ustim - Ustyum - Utyum.
DEMESHKO - ON BEHALF OF DEMENTY
I am a regular reader of your magazine. From each issue I learn something new, useful, interesting. I wish to continue to see the magazine the same. I also appeal to the doctor of philological sciences A. Superanskaya with a request to tell about the origin of the surname Demeshko. We have half a village with such a surname, but we are not relatives. We live in the Pskov region, Pustoshkinsky district, not far from the border with Belarus and Latvia. I read in Rodina magazine that some Mieszko I baptized Poland into Catholics. Meshko is a given name, a surname? And nowhere else did I see the name Demeshko in books. Once I met a man with the surname Lemeshko.
L. Demeshko (village Sipkino, Pskov region).
Surname Demeshko formed from Orthodox name Dementy(church form Dometius), shortened form - Demes, Demesha. Demeshko - diminutive form this name. She means that Demeshko- the son of a man named Dementy (Demes). Having become surnames, such names did not need to be decorated with special family suffixes.
The same goes for last name. Lemeshko- on behalf of Klementy(modern Russian church form Clement) via option Klemesh - Lemesh - Lemeshko - Mieszko. The latter form can also be a diminutive of Bartholomew- through Varfolomeshko- Meshko, from Eumenius- through Evmeshko or from Michael- through Mishko - Mieszko.
Details Created: 10/29/2015 10:10
Very often, phenomena and objects are named after the name of the person who made or discovered them. Over time, we forget about the origin of a word. We have made a selection of the most interesting and unexpected words that are actually surnames.
Hooligan- this is the surname of an Irish family, very different violent temper. Leading the charge was young Partick the Hooligan, whose name kept popping up in police reports and newspaper chronicles.
Chauvinism comes from the name of the Napoleonic soldier Nicolas Chauvin, who especially zealously served Napoleon and France and had a habit of expressing his patriotism and the exclusivity of his country in pathos of the common people. Remarkably, the surname comes from the word "bald" (calvinus).
Saxophone. Adolf Sax presented his invention as the "mouthpiece ophicleid". This instrument was called the saxophone by the composer Hector Berlioz, a friend of the inventor, in an article devoted to the invention, and the word immediately became popular.
Sandwich. John Montagu IV Earl of Sandwich was preparing James Cook's round-the-world expedition, and since he had no time to be distracted by food, he came up with a simple and convenient sandwich.
Boycott. British Charles Boycott worked as a manager for a landowner in Ireland. Once the workers went on strike and began to ignore the Englishman. And thanks to the British press covering these events, the name Boycott became a household name.
Jacuzzi. The Italian Candido Yakutstsi (Jacuzzi) invented the hot tub (hot tub is the wrong "American" pronunciation of this Italian surname, which, however, is firmly rooted in many languages of the world).
Olivie. Chef Lucien Olivier is known as the creator of the recipe for the famous salad, which remained a secret that Olivier never divulged until his death.
Beef stroganoff. French chef Count Alexander Grigoryevich Stroganov invented this dish. In French, it sounds like bœuf Stroganoff, that is, "Stroganoff beef."
Loafer. The German doctor Christian Ivanovich Loder opened the Institute of artificial mineral waters, in which patients were advised to walk fast for three hours. Ordinary people, looking at this fuss, came up with the expression "to drive a loafer."
Charlatan. The word charlatan, according to legend, comes from the name of the French doctor Charles Latin. He carried out meaningless operations, promising a full recovery, and, having received the money, went into hiding. And the unfortunate patients only got worse.
Nonsense. The French physician Galli Mathieu believed in healing power laughter. He treated patients with laughter, for which he made them laugh with anecdotes and various nonsense.
Libel. In Rome there lived a sharp-tongued citizen named Pasquino. The people loved him very much. Once, a statue was erected near Pasquino's house, which was popularly named after him. At night, the Romans began to paste over the statue with leaflets in which they spoke caustically about their rulers.
Bluetooth(blue tooth - literally "blue tooth"). The developers named this technology after the Viking King Harald Blåtand, who united Denmark and Norway.
July and August. July is named after Julius Caesar. August - in honor of the Roman emperor Octavian Augustus.
Maecenas. First of famous history the name of the patrons was Gaius Cylnius Maecenas.
Silhouette. Etienne de Silhouette was the controller of finances in France, but after failed attempt reform was forced to leave his post. Then he invented new method entertainment - trace the shadow of a person on the wall. This idea was so liked by his guests that the fame of the Silhouette spread throughout Europe.
Attic. The architect Francois Mansart was the first to use the under-roof attic space for residential and commercial purposes. Since then, the attic floor under a pitched steep roof has been called the attic.
Cardigan. General James Thomas Bradnell, 7th Chief of the County of Cardigan, invented this garberoba item.
« Never call a spade a spade if you don't know their last names.».
Stanislav Jerzy Lec
What is the meaning of surnames
The value of a person's surname is difficult to overestimate. From the moment the child crosses the threshold of the school, he ceases to be just Petya, Natasha or Dima, but also becomes Zaitsev, Romanova, Belov. With this important "increase" it is as if our growing up begins. With the exception of close relatives, friends and acquaintances, we distinguish people primarily by their surnames. The surname helps to make the first impression of a person - for example, with highly likely hits suggest his nationality. Knowing what a surname means, you can learn a lot about an ancestor, an ancestor. Where did he live, what did he do, was he tall or small, noisy or quiet. The roots of surnames lie in the personal names or nicknames of people, their professions, the names of places that existed at the time when surnames began to form. On the territory of Russia, this process became widespread in the 16th century, and was fully completed only at the beginning of the 20th century.
What does your last name mean?
Interestingly, the interpretation of surnames very often becomes complete surprise for their owners. So, sonorous, similar to an artistic pseudonym, the names of Emeralds and Tulips were given not to a jeweler and gardener, but, most likely, to students of a church school or seminary. Surnames with a meaning associated with the names of animals and birds, as a rule, are among the most ancient. They were formed in those days when, along with personal names, there were also nicknames - Crow, Bear, Pig. Many surnames come from nicknames-amulets that drive away evil spirits. Fool parents often called their child with the hope that he will grow up smart, Anger - kind. So, the ancestors of the Durakovs were not at all fools, and the Zlobins were gloomy and embittered. By the way, famous surname Nekrasov also originates from the nickname Nekras, that is, the expectation that the child will grow up handsome, handsome. So, you should not be complex because of the "dissonant" surnames, all the more so to form a negative opinion about the owners on them.
Of course, it is not always possible to determine with absolute certainty what meaning of the surname was originally true. Some surnames were born from distorted foreign borrowings, others from words that you can no longer find in modern dictionaries. However, interest in one's surname makes one learn more about one's ancestors, which means touching the history of one's family.
Surname Numerology
Finally, the numerological analysis of the surname can tell about a certain general mood of the family, hereditary abilities, potential "family" opportunities for success or failure, about the methods of communication with the outside world developed by the generations of one "dynasty". Each representative of the surname at the same time strengthens it with its own energy and receives support from it. It is no coincidence that people's fate changes dramatically when they change their surname.
Free online last name analysis will help you get closer to the secrets that you may not have suspected.
The meaning of surnames by nationality
Below is a list of nationalities, by going to the pages of which you can find out some details and the meaning of the surname, depending on the country in which they appeared.
Have you ever thought about your last name? Is it rare, unusual, or vice versa, often found in you? As a rule, a person gets so used to it that he does not think about its origin at all.
Most people do not even suspect what secrets their surname holds. Nevertheless, you can extract a lot of interesting information from it, find out about your pedigree, where and when the surname originated, who your ancestors were and other very important things. interesting information, which is unlikely to leave anyone indifferent. Every day we hear, pronounce, write, or read dozens of names of our acquaintances, friends, relatives and colleagues. Every citizen of our country has a surname, which is recorded in the marriage and birth certificates, in the passport. There are no homeless people.
Specialists different professions, culturologists, ethnographers, philologists turn to onomastics to study the meaning of surnames. This science, which allows you to recreate the origin of the surname, resorting to the search for ancestral names, determining their place of origin, exploring personal characteristics and occupation. The origin of the surname is established by highlighting the so-called root word on the basis of which it was created, and by establishing the meaning that this word had in the old days, when surnames were still being created.
It is sometimes very difficult to find out the origin of a surname, because almost all modern languages changed over time. It happens when the meaning of the word, which is the basis of the surname, has changed, or is completely lost. Moreover, the surname could be changed by the person himself or by the idiot official. Finding out the origin of a surname, despite its apparent simplicity, can be very difficult.
Research usually shows that there may be more than one interpretation of a surname, including the most possible explanations recorded in reference books and dictionaries for various dialects. Translated from Latin the word "surname" means family. In the Roman Empire, the surname did not belong to the family (spouses, children).
Only slaves had a surname, and they used it to refer to the entire population of people who belonged to one slave owner. In Rus', surnames began to be used in the 16th century, when it was adopted special law, which ordered boyars and princes to have a surname, as well as eminent merchants and nobles. Peasants began to be assigned surnames only after it was canceled serfdom. Often they were simply recorded under the name of their former masters.
In the 19th century, the word "surname" began to have a second, very close to modern, meaning. So, in the dictionary of Ozhegov S.I. one can read the following interpretation of this word: "A surname is a hereditary family name added to a personal name." The famous scientist and researcher Unbegaun B.O. in his book "The Origin of the Surname" he writes that Russian surnames come from personal names that are given to this or that person. Such names include baptismal names (which a person received at baptism), and nicknames received by a person according to his place of residence, profession, or some other sign.
In some cases, the origin of the surname is explained by the influence of the nickname: people called a person with one word, which most capaciously characterized his essence. It is from the nicknames that such surnames as Dolgoruky, Khmyrov, Krivosheev originated.
Previously, many tribes lived in Rus', each of which had its own customs, customs and beliefs. One of these beliefs were totem animals: bears, wolves, eagles, etc. People sincerely believed that by naming a person by the name of an animal, one can convey to him all the strength, dexterity, cunning inherent in the representative of the kingdom of animals.
In some cases, the origin of the surname is explained by the name of the area in which people lived. Some surnames are derived from the name of the area. IN ancient Rus' in each village there were only a few households, and each village had its own name. People who lived in a particular area were given surnames. An example would be the names Ozertsov, Montenegrins. Now in almost every village you can find several namesakes. Explained given fact the fact that during the time of serfdom, settlements were recorded in the name of the landowner who owned the land. All the people who lived there began to have the same last name.
In addition, surnames were given according to occupation. So, the surname Kuznetsov, obviously, comes from the word blacksmith, and the Pchelovodovs, Pasechnys once bred bees.
The analysis showed that the formation of surnames based on the type of human activity or other signs is less productive, but it also takes place. Russian traditions in this respect do not differ from the traditions of other peoples of Europe.
Men's and female surnames. The Russian language has a developed morphology. He has a tendency to designate any semantic category with a special feature. Russian surnames that take the form of adjectives or nouns can be declined in all numbers (singular and plural). From this it follows that they change endings in exact accordance with the cases. As a result, many surnames have a large number of different forms, and any of them has a legal status. IN this respect Russian family forms differ from the strict, unchanging and only family forms of non-Slavic peoples. The vast majority Slavic languages, including Russian, the surnames of women usually differ from the surnames of men. For example: Petrov - Petrova, but Petruk (he) - Petruk (she), etc. The reason must be sought in the morphological features of the Russian language.
Another formal feature that should not be forgotten is that the stress in Russian surnames is inconsistent. So, two Russian surnames of the same spelling with an accent on different syllables will be two different surnames. If you don’t know how to correctly stress an unfamiliar surname, then it is recommended to ask it again, since a wrong pronunciation can easily hurt and offend a person. Some take it quite calmly, while others get angry.
However, in some languages, for example, in Lithuanian, the surname has different shape for married and unmarried woman. In addition, the surname in the full name of a person may not be used at all. Such rules exist, for example, in the Icelandic language. In Spain and countries where they speak Spanish, commonly used double surnames. The first part of it consists of the paternal surname, and the second of the maternal.
Double surnames. In countries where the main language is Portuguese, similar surnames are also used, but here the order of use is exactly the opposite of Spanish: the first part consists of the mother's surname, the second of the father's surname. The appeal of Russian people to double surnames was originally associated with the inconclusive definition of generic nicknames. In her work "Double Surnames", the researcher Superanskaya A. writes that, on the one hand, any family stood out from the whole clan, and on the other hand, in order to maintain contact with relatives, people also used a generic nickname. At the end of the 15th - beginning of the 16th centuries, family nicknames were finally established and double surnames began to be lost.
Like these ones Interesting Facts keeps the history of the origin of surnames. Why is it important to know all this? Yes because the surname is common generic name the whole family, all relatives. The surname unites entire generations of people, binds them into a single whole. Having learned the origin of your family name, you will come one step closer to knowing yourself.
