Chechen Muslim's Names ( Origin and Meaning)

Chechen Muslim's Names ( Origin and Meaning) Names are historical heritage of people. The names reflect their past and present, historical and economic ties with other nations, culture, faith, their hopes and aspirations, living conditions. The original Nakh names reflect their attitude to the environment. The Chechen language contains a number of personal names, which emerged on the basis of the original lexical fund. These names are quite specific and linked with the flora and fauna and also attributive appellations. The original names represent the most ancient stratum in the Chechen anthroponimics, and heritage of the Chechen language and seldom penetrate other languages. Personal Chechen names are largely reflected in the animal world: Bozh (buozh – goat- Ali; Bula (bul) - bison; Borz (buorz) – wolf; Ovlur – lamb of winter cattle; Lom (luom) – lion and declination form – Loyoma. Other designations of predatory animals are used as nicknames reflecting a person’s features: Cha – bear, Piil – elephant; Nal -- wild boar, denoting power. Zhyogal – fox, denoting slyness, courtliness and servility. Dakka – a mouse, underlines the ability to sneak anywhere and avoid trouble. Zizig is a cat; Kyeza – a puppy, a diminutive namesake for children. Lu – a roe; Sai is a deer, which stresses, elegance, beauty, gracefulness. Chechen names frequently contain designations of domestic and wild birds: Khokha – a dove, Moma (muom) – a partridge; Selasat (cihe-lsot) – oriole; Chovka – a rook; Chiygyardig – a swallow; Kuyara – a hawk, Durgali – a white-bellied martin, Makkhal – a black kite; Olkhazar – a bird; Khyoza – a sparrow; Lecha—a falcon, Ayrzu – an eagle. As nick-names denoting assessment characteristics use the following names of birds: kotam (kuotam) – a hen; bad—a duck, gyargluli – a crane; kyig – a crow, chyab – bittern; soyka – eagle-owl;  khuyttut – cuckoo; atyokh – hoopoe; alkhancha – starling; gyaz – goose, bukhya – owl, todakh (tuodakh)  -- piper, nyanya – a rooster, nyaynakhorni – cockerel.  Name-sakes are used to denote insects and reptiles: laykhya – a snake, boykha khyuma – also a serpent, moylkya – a lizard, pkhid – a frog, gezg – a spider, segal – a flea, zyubdar – a leech. Polla denotes a butter-fly, chyrk – a knat, moza—a fly, zingat – an ant, sesa – a tadpole, zayapzalg – a grasshopper. The formation of personal names from designations of the flora is quite common in any language: Nazha – an oak-tree, Baza—yew-tree, Jola—shrubbery , Dushta (duushto) – ash-tree. Zezag means flowers, Zaza – florescence, Datta – rowan-tree, Kemsa – grapes, Petyamat – poppies. The Chechen language also has names derived from the designations of precious metals and gems: Dasha – both male and female – means lead; Deshi – gold, Deti – silver. Birlant – diamond; Djovkhar – pearl; Mokhaz – flint. The Chechen language also contains names reflecting natural phenomena, special bodies: Markha – a cloud; Seda (Sieda) – star; Batta – lunar; Mayalkh-ayazni meaning solar beauty; kameta – comet; Kyilba – south. The Chechen anthroponimics has names which denote conjuration and incantation, derived from verbs. Male names: Vakha – to live; Dukhavakha – to live long; Vakhiyta – let live; Visa – to stay; Visiyta – let him  stay. Female names: Yakha – live; Yakhiyta – let her live; Yisa – stay. Such names were given in families whose children did not survive. The harsh economic conditions, need and poverty resulted in high infantile mortality. And in such cases, a despondent mountainous family resorted to names-incantations: Satziyta, Toita – enough, let it stop. The Chechens attributed a great importance to names. Their names were treated  gently. Chechens would say that “a name is the glory of the mighty, but it can also be a disgrace and infamy of the weak”. There are names in the Chechen language, derived from adjectives: Dika – good, Masa – quick, agile, Maira, Mayrbek, Mairsolt – courageous (bek), Sutarbi – greedy. Khaza is beautiful, (Khazabika), Kurbika – proud (bika). The semantics of many names based on Hakh languages is not quite clear today. Unfortunately, many originally and traditionally Nakh names are undeservedly forgotten and recede in the past. Life is changing and names are changing in reflection of those changes. The words denoting the names acquire new meanings. The Chechen language contains names adopted from other languages. It is assumed that for those people who embraced Islam, Arabic names are quite common. This is not quite true. In reality, these people have a few scores of names, which Arabs bore in the first century after embracing Islam. Purely Arabic names were retained only among those who were linked with the name of prophet Mohamed, and let the Allah bless and greet them, and with the names of his associates and disciples. Many names bestowed on Chechens are oriental names, but there are also names adopted from the Russian language and other languages by way of Russian. Let us consider the etymology of some of those names: 1. Abbas (abbas) – is a name which was bestowed on the Prophet’s uncle, let the Allah bless and greet him. The meaning of this name is austere, sullen. 2. Abdullah (Yabdullah) – is a name of the father of Prophet Mohamed, let the Allah bless and greet him. The meaning of the name is a slave of the Allah. 3. Abdulrakhman (Yabdulrakhman) -- is a name which first appeared with the onset of the Prophet’s prophetic mission. The Prophet often mentions in his scriptures that Abdulrakhman is a noble name. The meaning of the name is a slave of the All-mighty. One of the chief names of the Allah that begins the Koran is Bismallah-yir-rakhmanir-rakhim – meaning – in the name of the Allah – the All-mighty and merciful. 4. Abu – a name’s core, meaning Father and it begins names such as Abuali, Abumuslim, Abubakar, Abusaid. 5.     Aisha is the name of one of Prophet Mohamed’s wives and let the Allah bless and greet him. The meaning of the name is living. 6. Ali (yelah) is a common name in Muslim countries and it was bestowed on the legendary son-in-law of Prophet Mohamed, and let the Allah bless and greet him. The name of Ali is linked with the powerful movement in Islam – the Shia. The name denotes supreme, elevated. 7. Akhmad (Akhymad) – glorified. 8. Ayub is a name of one of the Prophets and denotes repentant, according to one version, and persecuted according to another. 9.Bulat is derived from Arabic and means steel. 10.Vadud is one of the 19 epithets of the Allah – and al Vadud denoting affectionate. 11. Daud means a loving friend. 12.Jamal – denotes beauty, attractiveness. Jamaldin – is the beauty of faith, and Jamaldi is a derivative of this name. 13.  Zainab (Zainap, Zainapi) means buxom, and it was the name of one of the daughters of Prophet Mohamed , let the Allah bless and greet him. 14.Zaman (Zama, Zamani) means time and epoch. 15.Ibrakhim (Ibraykhim) is the name of one of the Prophets; in Hebrew it is a form of Abraham denoting the father of all nations. 16.Laila (Laylya) – means a lily. 17.Malik – meaning possessor, ruler. 18.Malika – denotes Czarina. 19. Mansur – means victorious. 20.Mukhammad (Mokhyamad, Makhymud, Mukhyammad) meaning glorified, glorious. Compiled by Zulai Khamidova, Ph.D of philological studies, professor. Bibliography: Comparatives – Historical Grammar of the Nakh Languages and Problems of the Origin and Development of the Mountainous Peoples”. By Y.D. Deshiriyev. Grozny, 1963. The Original Names of Chechens and Ingushis – a Collection of Articles and Materials on the Issues of Nakh Linguistics. By N. G. Akriywev. Izvestia, Chinsheyal, Grozny, 1975, Vol. 10.Chechen Names, By N.S. Bibulatov, Grozny, 1991.