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Recently I was asked what the name Bar-Yam(בר־ים) means. After a couple hours of online research I formulated the response below. But I'm no expert; what's your take on it? Can more be said, corrections offered? Can this name be found in Mid-Eastern religious texts? (It's not Biblical.)
BTW what does the masculine prænomen Yaneer mean, anyhow? (read on..)
ברים transliterated into English is (generally) spelled Baryam, and can refer to:
1. A common Semitic proper name ["ברים"], taken from the Aramaic language; the prefix בר denoting "son of", the masculine noun ים meaning "sea, seaward" or (Biblically) "West, westward" [given that the Great (Mediterranean) Sea was situated cardinally West], though also implying "abundance" and "ability"; these terms taken together, the name can translate "Son of the Sea" (also "of the West") as well as "Son of Abundance" and "Able(Capable) Son". Note that when used as a surname it is (properly) rendered "בר־ים" in Aramaic & Hebrew [but also written without the maqqaf(hyphen)]; spelled-out in English as Bar-Yam, bar-Yam or barYam.
2. Modern Hebrew term for drinking taverns in Israël ['barym', plural of 'bar'; loanword, from English].
3. Possibly paleo-Persian (Darí) for "feast".
Additionally ברים is:
a. Surname of a renowned U.S.American scientist (Yaneer Bar-Yam; yaneer@necsi.org), president of New England Complex Systems
Institute.
b. A place name in Afghanistan.
BTW what does the masculine prænomen Yaneer mean, anyhow? (read on..)
ברים transliterated into English is (generally) spelled Baryam, and can refer to:
1. A common Semitic proper name ["ברים"], taken from the Aramaic language; the prefix בר denoting "son of", the masculine noun ים meaning "sea, seaward" or (Biblically) "West, westward" [given that the Great (Mediterranean) Sea was situated cardinally West], though also implying "abundance" and "ability"; these terms taken together, the name can translate "Son of the Sea" (also "of the West") as well as "Son of Abundance" and "Able(Capable) Son". Note that when used as a surname it is (properly) rendered "בר־ים" in Aramaic & Hebrew [but also written without the maqqaf(hyphen)]; spelled-out in English as Bar-Yam, bar-Yam or barYam.
2. Modern Hebrew term for drinking taverns in Israël ['barym', plural of 'bar'; loanword, from English].
3. Possibly paleo-Persian (Darí) for "feast".
Additionally ברים is:
a. Surname of a renowned U.S.American scientist (Yaneer Bar-Yam; yaneer@necsi.org), president of New England Complex Systems
Institute.
b. A place name in Afghanistan.
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Replies
Ominously, Bar-Yam is also an anagram of My-Arab :P
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I have no idea of Afghan place-names or ancient Persian.
The Hebrew bars have little to do with the name you mention, this is just a coincidence in spelling.
But the rest sounds plausible to me: "son of the sea" or "son of the west". The former may have referred to someone sailing to sea. The latter probably once meant someone who lived in the west or was born there. This of course reminds me of Benjamin. As this site states it means either "son of the right hand" (and thus "lucky one") or "son of the south". The biblical Benjamin was the only son of Jacob, who was born in the south (in Kanaan).
You did a good job with your research, I should say!
The Hebrew bars have little to do with the name you mention, this is just a coincidence in spelling.
But the rest sounds plausible to me: "son of the sea" or "son of the west". The former may have referred to someone sailing to sea. The latter probably once meant someone who lived in the west or was born there. This of course reminds me of Benjamin. As this site states it means either "son of the right hand" (and thus "lucky one") or "son of the south". The biblical Benjamin was the only son of Jacob, who was born in the south (in Kanaan).
You did a good job with your research, I should say!
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> You did a good job with your research, I should say!
Thank you :)
Thank you :)
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