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ArchivesStrange meanings...
There are some names with extremely strange meanings. For instance:
Kennedy : "Ugly head."
Byron : "Place of the cow sheds."
Culhwch : "Hiding place of the pig."
Abeni : (this one amuses me) "We asked for her, and behold, we got her."
And, of course, all the girls' names derived from names meaning 'manly' or 'man'. Kind of depressing to be named Charlotte or Andrea and find out what your name means.
What are some of the weirdest name meanings you've found?
(Oh, also, is there any name that actually means 'meaning unknown'? Because that would be awesome.)
Kennedy : "Ugly head."
Byron : "Place of the cow sheds."
Culhwch : "Hiding place of the pig."
Abeni : (this one amuses me) "We asked for her, and behold, we got her."
And, of course, all the girls' names derived from names meaning 'manly' or 'man'. Kind of depressing to be named Charlotte or Andrea and find out what your name means.
What are some of the weirdest name meanings you've found?
(Oh, also, is there any name that actually means 'meaning unknown'? Because that would be awesome.)
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Replies
Well it aint that bad for our friend Andrea . As mentioned previously, her name is derived from "andreia" which means valliance (of course "andreia" is derived from "aner" (man) but that was before the PC thought police castrated our minds).
Here is a list of my favorite wierd Greek names:
10. Ermaphroditus (meaning "hermaphrodite")
9. Akindynos, M (meaning "harmless")
8. Parallelos, M (meaning parallel)
7. Onesimos, M (meaning "donkeyable")
6. Satyros, M (meaning "Satyr")
5. Trofimos, M (meaning "imnate")
4. Ilaria , F (meaning "hilarious") -- Hillary ?
3. Onesiforos, M (meaning "carrying a donkey")
2. Euthanasia, F (meaning "pleasant death")
...and the winner is
1. Kalliopos, M (meaning "guy possessing a good hole")
Note I have made a point of selecting my names from early Saints of the Greek Orthodox Church. Yep folks, all of the above are recognized saints.
Here is a list of my favorite wierd Greek names:
10. Ermaphroditus (meaning "hermaphrodite")
9. Akindynos, M (meaning "harmless")
8. Parallelos, M (meaning parallel)
7. Onesimos, M (meaning "donkeyable")
6. Satyros, M (meaning "Satyr")
5. Trofimos, M (meaning "imnate")
4. Ilaria , F (meaning "hilarious") -- Hillary ?
3. Onesiforos, M (meaning "carrying a donkey")
2. Euthanasia, F (meaning "pleasant death")
...and the winner is
1. Kalliopos, M (meaning "guy possessing a good hole")
Note I have made a point of selecting my names from early Saints of the Greek Orthodox Church. Yep folks, all of the above are recognized saints.
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A few claricications.
* Trofimos: Besides "inmate", trofimos also means "nourishing, nutricious" as well as "nusling". It is derived from the word "trophe" ("nourishment"). The name appears occasionally in Russia (eg. Trofim Lyssenko).
* Onesimos and Onesiforos: The unfortunate donkey association that has plagued these names is from the word "onos" (ass). In fact the names' true etymology is from "pnesis" meaning "profit, benefit, advantage".
*Kalliopos" suffers the same unfortunate association as the otherwise beautiful name Kalliope : "kalo" (good) and "ope" (hole). However the ultimate etymology for both names is from "kalo" (good) and "ops" (voice). But this certainly not generally recognized, and the names have always been subject to vicious wordplay. For example, the slang word for toilet in Greek is "Kalliope " (as it is John in English).
* Trofimos: Besides "inmate", trofimos also means "nourishing, nutricious" as well as "nusling". It is derived from the word "trophe" ("nourishment"). The name appears occasionally in Russia (eg. Trofim Lyssenko).
* Onesimos and Onesiforos: The unfortunate donkey association that has plagued these names is from the word "onos" (ass). In fact the names' true etymology is from "pnesis" meaning "profit, benefit, advantage".
*Kalliopos" suffers the same unfortunate association as the otherwise beautiful name Kalliope : "kalo" (good) and "ope" (hole). However the ultimate etymology for both names is from "kalo" (good) and "ops" (voice). But this certainly not generally recognized, and the names have always been subject to vicious wordplay. For example, the slang word for toilet in Greek is "Kalliope " (as it is John in English).
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Well, the "Anti-" part is unambiguous.
"-ope" however is quite debatable. It can be either from:
1. "ope" meaning "hole"
2. "ope" meaning
- of Place: "by which or what way, in which or what direction"
- of a Manner: "in what way, how, as"
- with other Particles: "in what possible direction or manner" (Liddel & Scott )
3. "ops" meaning "a poeting noun denoting voice, whether in speaking, shouting, lamenting" (Liddel & Scott )
4. "opsis" meaning "face", as you mention.
I would (arbitrarily, granted) count out 1 and 3. I would tend to go for 4 (which is the definition you have posted) although I cannot exclude 3 either (which would make Antiope synonymous to "nonconformist").
Sorry for being incoherent, its a Monday morning...
"-ope" however is quite debatable. It can be either from:
1. "ope" meaning "hole"
2. "ope" meaning
- of Place: "by which or what way, in which or what direction"
- of a Manner: "in what way, how, as"
- with other Particles: "in what possible direction or manner" (Liddel & Scott )
3. "ops" meaning "a poeting noun denoting voice, whether in speaking, shouting, lamenting" (Liddel & Scott )
4. "opsis" meaning "face", as you mention.
I would (arbitrarily, granted) count out 1 and 3. I would tend to go for 4 (which is the definition you have posted) although I cannot exclude 3 either (which would make Antiope synonymous to "nonconformist").
Sorry for being incoherent, its a Monday morning...
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Maybe *donkeyful* or *donkeysome* would be better translations :P
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See, in Esperanto...
...we don't have these questionable word formations. Your "donkeyful" or "donkeysome" would simply be "azeneca" -- "possessing the quality of a donkey."
Just another plug for the International Language -- in which words can't be naturally misspelled, mispronounced, or mis-used. :)
-- Nanaea
...we don't have these questionable word formations. Your "donkeyful" or "donkeysome" would simply be "azeneca" -- "possessing the quality of a donkey."
Just another plug for the International Language -- in which words can't be naturally misspelled, mispronounced, or mis-used. :)
-- Nanaea
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Donkey-shun Nanjo! :)
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