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ArchivesNever mind, there is a connection to Russia after all! (m)
in reply to a message by Dorchadas
For the East German bearers, the names that we should be looking at are Силен (Silen) and Силена (Silena):
- Силен (Silen): https://imya.com/name/32497 (in Russian)
- Силена (Silena): https://imya.com/name/9150 (in Russian)
Both are derived from the Russian adjective силен (silen) meaning "strong, powerful", which makes them etymologically related to the Russian noun сила (sila) meaning "strength" as well as "power, might":
- силен (silen): https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/силен (in English)
- сила (sila): https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/сила#Russian (in English)
The aforementioned Russian adjective has a very similar-looking variant, namely силён (silon/silion/silyon). It has the exact same meaning:
- силён (silon/silion/silyon): https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/силён (in English)
As a result, the names Silen and Silena appear to have the variants Силён (Silon/Silion/Silyon) and Силёна (Silona/Siliona/Silyona), but they seem to be either very rare or archaic. Searching for them produces name-like results on the search engines, but nothing that is immediately and obviously concrete (at least at first glance). For the feminine name in particular, it probably also doesn't help that in modern Russian, there is a similar-looking everyday word with a negative meaning:
- силёнка (silonka/silionka/silyonka) meaning "weak, puny strength": https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/силёнка (in English)
Last but not least, I would like to point out the following: -lena seems to become -liona/-lyona and -lona in (some) Slavic languages. It certainly is no coincidence that Helena has the forms Aliona and Alyona in Russian and Ukrainian, and Ilona in Hungarian (through Slavic influence). Perhaps Silena has received similar treatment in some cases in the past, leading to what should be Силёна (Silona/Siliona/Silyona) in Russian and Сильона (Siliona/Silyona) in Ukrainian. The Hungarian form, if it has ever even existed, might have been Silona. To be honest, I could also see that form coming into existence in Lithuanian and Polish, as they are no stranger to that type of name either. But whichever way you slice it, it seems plausible for Silona to have existed in Eastern Europe at some point.
"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people."
- Силен (Silen): https://imya.com/name/32497 (in Russian)
- Силена (Silena): https://imya.com/name/9150 (in Russian)
Both are derived from the Russian adjective силен (silen) meaning "strong, powerful", which makes them etymologically related to the Russian noun сила (sila) meaning "strength" as well as "power, might":
- силен (silen): https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/силен (in English)
- сила (sila): https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/сила#Russian (in English)
The aforementioned Russian adjective has a very similar-looking variant, namely силён (silon/silion/silyon). It has the exact same meaning:
- силён (silon/silion/silyon): https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/силён (in English)
As a result, the names Silen and Silena appear to have the variants Силён (Silon/Silion/Silyon) and Силёна (Silona/Siliona/Silyona), but they seem to be either very rare or archaic. Searching for them produces name-like results on the search engines, but nothing that is immediately and obviously concrete (at least at first glance). For the feminine name in particular, it probably also doesn't help that in modern Russian, there is a similar-looking everyday word with a negative meaning:
- силёнка (silonka/silionka/silyonka) meaning "weak, puny strength": https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/силёнка (in English)
Last but not least, I would like to point out the following: -lena seems to become -liona/-lyona and -lona in (some) Slavic languages. It certainly is no coincidence that Helena has the forms Aliona and Alyona in Russian and Ukrainian, and Ilona in Hungarian (through Slavic influence). Perhaps Silena has received similar treatment in some cases in the past, leading to what should be Силёна (Silona/Siliona/Silyona) in Russian and Сильона (Siliona/Silyona) in Ukrainian. The Hungarian form, if it has ever even existed, might have been Silona. To be honest, I could also see that form coming into existence in Lithuanian and Polish, as they are no stranger to that type of name either. But whichever way you slice it, it seems plausible for Silona to have existed in Eastern Europe at some point.
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