apotropaic names
Sarah Benor
RC Klein
Rabbi Abuchatzeira fascinatingly compares this to a well-known custom among Tunisian Jews (especially those from Djerba) who give their children names related to “fish” in order to help immunize them from the Evil Eye. Examples include masculine names like Hayuta/Hauita ("fish" in some North African dialects of Arabic, although in Aramaic it means "snake"), Manani ("merou" or "grouper" fish, possibly also related to nun), Bugid ("striped red mullet"), Hadir ("torpedo fish"), Karutz ("bass"), Uzifa, Wurgana, and feminine names like Shelbia (“Salema porgy”), Svirsa, Murgana, Manana (feminized form of Manani), and Baharia (“mermaid”).
Shalom & Kol Tuv
Reuven Chaim Klein
Beitar Illit, Israel
Author of: God versus Gods & Lashon HaKodesh
ORCiD | LinkedIN | Google Scholar | Amazon
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RC Klein
Shalom & Kol Tuv
Reuven Chaim Klein
Beitar Illit, Israel
Author of: God versus Gods & Lashon HaKodesh
ORCiD | LinkedIN | Google Scholar | Amazon
Thanks for sharing. But might the name "Baharia" (mermaid) be better explained as expressing the wish for great fecundity for the girl when she grows up?
Gerald Cohen
From: jewish...@googlegroups.com <jewish...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of RC Klein <yesh...@gmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, August 13, 2022 12:55 PM
To: Sarah Benor <sbeno...@gmail.com>
Cc: Jewish Names <jewish...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [Jewish Names] apotropaic names
Here's something I wrote in this essay. I think we discussed the topic earlier on this listserv. I can get you some related sources, if you need.Rabbi Abuchatzeira fascinatingly compares this to a well-known custom among Tunisian Jews (especially those from Djerba) who give their children names related to “fish” in order to help immunize them from the Evil Eye. Examples include masculine names like Hayuta/Hauita ("fish" in some North African dialects of Arabic, although in Aramaic it means "snake"), Manani ("merou" or "grouper" fish, possibly also related to nun), Bugid ("striped red mullet"), Hadir ("torpedo fish"), Karutz ("bass"), Uzifa, Wurgana, and feminine names like Shelbia (“Salema porgy”), Svirsa, Murgana, Manana (feminized form of Manani), and Baharia (“mermaid”).Shalom & Kol Tuv
Reuven Chaim Klein
Beitar Illit, Israel
Author of: God versus Gods & Lashon HaKodesh
ORCiD | LinkedIN | Google Scholar | Amazon
--On Fri, Aug 12, 2022 at 9:21 PM Sarah Benor <sbeno...@gmail.com> wrote:
I'm looking for examples of apotropaic names in Jewish communities outside of Europe. Does anyone have examples of names like Chaim, Chaya, Alter, Vidal, etc., from North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia?--
Thanks in advance,
Sarah Bunin Benor
Director, Jewish Language ProjectProfessor of Contemporary Jewish Studies and LinguisticsHebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion
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Alexandre Beider
Aaron Demsky
Victor Hayoun (CC) has studied these “fish” names among Tunisian Jews which should be published soon. I hope he can join the discussion.
Of course, among Ashkenazim we have the joined name Ephraim Fishel (see also Karp) based on Jacob’s blessing Gen 48:16 –
טז הַמַּלְאָךְ הַגֹּאֵל אֹתִי מִכָּל-רָע יְבָרֵךְ אֶת-הַנְּעָרִים וְיִקָּרֵא בָהֶם שְׁמִי וְשֵׁם אֲבֹתַי אַבְרָהָם וְיִצְחָק וְיִדְגּוּ לָרֹב בְּקֶרֶב הָאָרֶץ
All the best,
Aaron
Professor Aaron Demsky (retired)
History of Ancient Israel
Director, Project for the Study of Jewish Names
Department of Jewish History and Contemporary Jewry
Bar-Ilan University Ramat-Gan, Israel 52900
Cell - (972)-50-650-7373
Email - aaron....@biu.ac.il
Site: https://sites.google.com/site/demskyaaron/home
From: 'Alexandre Beider' via Jewish Names <jewish...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, August 14, 2022 1:33 AM
To: RC Klein <yesh...@gmail.com>
Cc: Jewish Names <jewish...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [Jewish Names] apotropaic names
It would be of interest to determine at what moment these fish-related given names were assigned in Tunisia and whether they could be unique given names for the persons in question (i.e. assigned a few days after the birth). Note that Ashkenazic (Alter/Alte, Zeyde/Bobe) or Sephardic (Mercado), as well as Hayyim (used by both Ashkenazim & Sephardim) are often assigned as a second given names (for example, during the illness of the child who already has another, non-apotropaic, given name).
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