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Archivesa couple questions about meanings and invented names
Some "invented names" discussions on the opinion boards got me to thinking about this one. Particularly a post I have seen just this morning.
Take the name Zorona. I am assuming it is invented. However, when I asked the girls mother where she got it she said she elaborated the name Zora. Does that mean that the invented name Zorona means "dawn" as does Zora? What about another example like Shayissa. Being an elaboration of Shay, does that mean it has a meaning of "gift" or "admirable"?
I am not trying to defend this idea. I'm just trying to learn the ropes of this etymology stuff. I find it most confusing. How do you tell if there is any meaning peeking out through an invented name?
Melissa
Take the name Zorona. I am assuming it is invented. However, when I asked the girls mother where she got it she said she elaborated the name Zora. Does that mean that the invented name Zorona means "dawn" as does Zora? What about another example like Shayissa. Being an elaboration of Shay, does that mean it has a meaning of "gift" or "admirable"?
I am not trying to defend this idea. I'm just trying to learn the ropes of this etymology stuff. I find it most confusing. How do you tell if there is any meaning peeking out through an invented name?
Melissa
1
Replies
I think if the source name or word is fairly easily identifiable (or a name historian might deduce it and write it down in a reference), the meaning remains. If the name is similar enough to another name, and no published meanings are available, people tend to associate it with the original name anyway.
Like, if I like Zorona and want to use it, but I've only heard it on this one girl, I look it up and find only Zora and say, oh.. I guess it must have the same root. At least, I'll claim it does, if I like it that way; and figure no one can argue with me.
A lot of names come from people 'elaborating,' combining elements, and adopting from other languages, and adapting spellings and pronunciations and endings. It seems to be the nature of languages and names; they evolve because people adapt and update them. Names that are the same in all languages, through all history, and have zero variants are pretty rare.
Meaning is not really as important as history and associations; there are common names whose meaning has been lost and we only guess at now (Theresa, for example).
All names are ultimately invented. I think it's only because names we think of specifically as 'invented' are new and unfamiliar, or modify what we think of as 'traditional,' that we think of them as silly or meaningless. It makes a great filter for bad, too-synthetic new inventions like Shayissa that have no apparent relation to any meaning or anything - people just avoid using them, and they will usually just die out (unless the bearer gets famous).
- chazda
Like, if I like Zorona and want to use it, but I've only heard it on this one girl, I look it up and find only Zora and say, oh.. I guess it must have the same root. At least, I'll claim it does, if I like it that way; and figure no one can argue with me.
A lot of names come from people 'elaborating,' combining elements, and adopting from other languages, and adapting spellings and pronunciations and endings. It seems to be the nature of languages and names; they evolve because people adapt and update them. Names that are the same in all languages, through all history, and have zero variants are pretty rare.
Meaning is not really as important as history and associations; there are common names whose meaning has been lost and we only guess at now (Theresa, for example).
All names are ultimately invented. I think it's only because names we think of specifically as 'invented' are new and unfamiliar, or modify what we think of as 'traditional,' that we think of them as silly or meaningless. It makes a great filter for bad, too-synthetic new inventions like Shayissa that have no apparent relation to any meaning or anything - people just avoid using them, and they will usually just die out (unless the bearer gets famous).
- chazda
1