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Names Question

  • 14-05-2008 2:27pm
    #1
    _blank_
    Closed Accounts Posts: 41,926 ✭✭✭✭


    Following on from this thread in AH.

    So, I'm wondering about the name John, which has an equivalent in almost every European language, Romantic, Germanic, Celtic, Slavic.

    Is it unique in this trait?

    I'm thinking not, Paul springs to mind immediately.

    What about Michael?

    Peter?


Comments

  • #2
    tbh
    Closed Accounts Posts: 15,914 ✭✭✭✭tbh


    Ringo is the obvious exception. A ha. A ha ha.

    Anyway, I always thought that those names were European in origin and had somehow been translated across the world, but I read recently that they had their roots in the middle-east and became popular because the were names of disciples. Was it you who mentioned David Crystal a while back Des?


  • #3
    _blank_
    Closed Accounts Posts: 41,926 ✭✭✭✭_blank_


    tbh wrote: »
    Ringo is the obvious exception. A ha. A ha ha.

    Anyway, I always thought that those names were European in origin and had somehow been translated across the world, but I read recently that they had their roots in the middle-east and became popular because the were names of disciples. Was it you who mentioned David Crystal a while back Des?
    Yeah, I have two of his books at home (one pilfered from a Melbourne Public Library, admittedly).

    You want a loan of them?

    Ah, the Middle East thing makes a bit of sense to me.

    When JPII died, I was flicking around all the news stations, and came accross Al-Jazeera (I'm a bit funny like that, I'll watch foreign news seeing if I can pick up on any words I might recognise, the fact that it's news gives it some context for understanding or noticing words which are being repeated).

    Anyway, the Arabic version of John-Paul was very like a Latin version, something like "Yoannes-Bablo" (afaik, arabic has no "p" sound in it).


  • #4
    tbh
    Closed Accounts Posts: 15,914 ✭✭✭✭tbh


    DesF wrote: »
    Yeah, I have two of his books at home (one pilfered from a Melbourne Public Library, admittedly).

    You want a loan of them?

    Ah, the Middle East thing makes a bit of sense to me.

    When JPII died, I was flicking around all the news stations, and came accross Al-Jazeera (I'm a bit funny like that, I'll watch foreign news seeing if I can pick up on any words I might recognise, the fact that it's news gives it some context for understanding or noticing words which are being repeated).

    Anyway, the Arabic version of John-Paul was very like a Latin version, something like "Yoannes-Bablo" (afaik, arabic has no "p" sound in it).

    No - you mentioned them a while back, and I bought them on your recommendation :) I love how language works, the other one (something like the history of language) I found a bit too dense. But I read about the names in HLW, so have a look at that if you still have it.


  • #5
    _blank_
    Closed Accounts Posts: 41,926 ✭✭✭✭_blank_


    By the way.

    Can you remember where you read that?

    Names and name meaning facinate me.

    What does your name mean?


  • #6
    _blank_
    Closed Accounts Posts: 41,926 ✭✭✭✭_blank_


    tbh wrote: »
    the other one (something like the history of language) I found a bit too dense.
    YOU are a bit too dense :D
    tbh wrote: »
    But I read about the names in HLW, so have a look at that if you still have it.
    :eek:

    It's in there?

    Jaysis, must have a look again.


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  • #7
    tbh
    Closed Accounts Posts: 15,914 ✭✭✭✭tbh


    DesF wrote: »
    By the way.

    Can you remember where you read that?

    Names and name meaning facinate me.

    What does your name mean?

    My name - I dunno, I heard that it's the original Irish for Kevin, but also that it's just a name and doesn't have any other meaning apart from that - I'll have a look in the book and see if I can find the passage again..


  • #8
    Red Hand
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,986 ✭✭✭Red Hand


    DesF wrote: »
    Following on from this thread in AH.

    So, I'm wondering about the name John, which has an equivalent in almost every European language, Romantic, Germanic, Celtic, Slavic.

    Is it unique in this trait?

    I'm thinking not, Paul springs to mind immediately.

    What about Michael?

    Peter?

    Sure, many of the most common names have their roots in the Bible or sometimes the Koran. Peter in English/Germanic languages, Pierre in French, Pedro in Spanish, Pietr/Petyar in Slavonic languages...they all come from Peter, Fisher of men from the bible.

    My own name, Jeremiah, is Biblical too. I've seen Jerczy as a Polish name and have always wondered if that is Jeremiah in Polish? Jeremis in French, I think is another form.

    And, I suppose you would have the "original name'' as in Hebrew or Aramaic or whatever language the name had it's origin in so that would be different again. Until I was about 16 or so, I'd always thought, naively and arrogantly, that the English form was the correct form, cause it was....erm...English.:):o


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