The article presents an analysis of Russian anthroponyms from the point of view of origin and structure presented in the ancient Russian texts of the 11th-17th centuries: «The Tale of the Life of Alexander Nevsky», «Walking at the Florentine Cathedral», «The Tale of the Novgorod White Hood», «The Tale of Peter and Fevronia of Murom», «The Legend of the Mamaev Massacre». The main features of the formation of the structure of a person’s personal naming in the Russian language are also presented, starting with Old Russian names, nicknames, which gradually gave way to binomial names, and ending with a characteristic of the three-membered structure of a person’s personal naming.
Keywords: onyms, anthroponyms, Ancient Russia, onomastics, structural types of anthroponyms.
Old Russian names are of great interest for research. They reveal the richness of the Russian folk language, show the breadth of imagination, observation and sharpness of a Russian person, his kindness and sociability, sometimes rude simplicity and causticity when it comes to moral vices or physical shortcomings.
The main purpose of the article is to analyze Russian anthroponyms from the point of view of origin and structure presented in the ancient Russian texts of the 11th-17th centuries: «The Tale of the Life of Alexander Nevsky», «The Walk to the Florentine Cathedral», «The Tale of Peter and Fevronia of Murom», «The Legend about the Mamaev massacre».
We have identified the following types of anthroponyms by structure found in Old Russian texts — one-membered, two-membered and three-membered naming. So, in the «Tale of the Life of Alexander Nevsky» we will highlight the personal names of the heroes.
For example, in this work there are single-term names of heroes: Alexander, Yaroslav, Feodosia. “This prince Alexander was born from a merciful and philanthropic father, and most of all, meek, the great prince Yaroslav, and from mother Theodosia” [6, с. 118]. The name Theodosius is derived from the male name Theodosius. This name comes from the Greek theos — god, and dosis — gift [3, с. 215]. “The name Yaroslav comes from yar- (cf. ardent) and slav- (cf. glory)” [3, с. 308]. It can be concluded only by the meaning of the names of the parents of Alexander Nevsky that his fate was already sealed, and he was to become a great and famous person. The name Alexander comes from the Greek aleho — to protect and aner — husband, man [3, с. 5]. So, we got a person who was given to parents as a «divine gift» and who became the defender of his state.
As V. D. Bondaletov, ancient Russian names were diverse in their meaning [1, с. 134]. For example, the entire number series from 1 to 10 was presented in numerical names: First, Second, Tretyak , there were also names that were given according to the color of a person’s skin or hair : Chernysh, Chernavka, Bel, Belyay and others. In the days of Ancient Russia, names could also be given according to other external signs — growth, body features: Dry, Tolstoy, Mal, Malyuta, Hare, Lip (with a hare lip), Bespaloy , etc.
There were also amulets, dating back to ancient beliefs, which were supposedly able to ward off evil spirits, illness, death: Goryain, Nemil, Nekras, Nelyuba, Neustroy, Malice, Old, Tugarin (tuga — sadness).
Among the ancient Russian names were those that have survived to this day: Vadim, Vsevolod, Svyatoslav, Vladimir, Yaroslav , — others, forgotten for a long time, are now being revived: Dobrynya, Zhdan, Lyubava, Rogvolod .
These names were widespread until the 16th century. This gave impetus to the creation of additional forms to them — diminutive, affectionate, abbreviated. In the family, such forms were more convenient to use than complete ones.
After the introduction of Christianity, the so-called calendar names entered the practice of naming Russian people. Many of these names had three clearly opposed options: church ( Ananias, Ioannikius, Azaria ), literary ( Anan, Anikiy, Azarias ), folk ( Anan, Anikei and Anika, Azar ).
At this time, there is a double name, that is, a combination of a Christian and a «worldly» name. For example, in the work «The Tale of the Life of Alexander Nevsky» the name Pelugiy (in baptism Philip) [6, с. 120] is used, and in «The Tale of Peter and Fevronia of Murom» the following magnifications are found: Peter, named David, Fevronia, named Euphrosyne [5, с. 312]. Interestingly, “... the name Peter comes from the Greek petra — rock, cliff; block of stone» [3, с. 167], and "... the name David comes from the Hebrew name Dauld — beloved» [3, с.14]. As we know, Peter accepted Christianity already at a mature age, and his subjects loved him very much, which means that the Christian name David was not given to him by chance.
Naming by name and patronymic shows a polite attitude towards the named person, includes a desire to emphasize respect for him. The word «dignify» in Russian means to exalt, exalt, glorify, honor, and also call by patronymic. «What is your name-dignify?" — this expression is often in folk tales and epics, where all heroes and warriors are called by name and patronymic.
In The Tale of the Life of Alexander Nevsky, the following greatnesses are found: Gavrilo Oleksich, Sbyslav Yakunovich [6, с. 118–122]; and in the «Tale of the Battle of Mamaev» — Dimitri Ivanovich, Yuri Dmitrievich, Vladimir Andreevich, Ivan Svyatoslavich, Semyon Mikhailovich, Andrei and Dmitry Olgerdovichi, Vladimir Vsevolodovich, Dmitry Vsevolodovich, Mikula Vasilievich, Timofei Voluevich, Mikhail Andreevich [4, с. 240–254].
Different social groups had official surnames at different times. Representatives of the nobility, princes, boyars were the first to receive surnames (from the 14th — 15th centuries). Their surnames often reflected the names of their patrimonial estates: Tver, Moscow, Zvenigorod, Rostov, Kolomensky , etc. These surnames are formed according to the common Slavic model with the suffix -sk-. In «Walking to the Florence Cathedral» there is such a name: Abraham Suzdalsky [7, с. 134]. In the «Tale of the Battle of Mamaev» the following names are found: Oleg Ryazansky, Olgerd Lithuanian, Dimitri Moskovsky, Rodion Rzhevsky, Dmitry Rostovsky [4, с. 240–254].
Three-member structures began to come into use (especially in the 17th century). They were even more diverse than the binomial ones. At first, surnames were formed among princes, boyars, nobles, and among the rest of the estates they either did not exist at all, or were just emerging. V. A. Nikonov in the book «Name and Society» writes that "... by the beginning of the 18th century. all landowners already have surnames. In most cases, they are formed from patronymics, which are based on the name of the father, church or non-church: along with the Vasilyevs, Ivashovs, the Tretyakovs, Baranovs, and others. Surnames began to appear among merchants as early as the 16th century, but only among the largest» [2, с. 205].
In the «Tale of the Battle of Mamaev» there are the following three-term names: Ivan Rodionovich Kvashnya, Dmitry Ivanovich Moskovsky, Vladimir Svyatoslavich Kyiv, Mikhail Andreevich Brenk [4, с. 240–254].
In modern functioning, the official Russian name is triune: it consists of a surname, name and patronymic. For example, Pyotr Ivanovich Bagration, Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky .
Thus, this article examined the main features of the formation of the structure of a person's personal naming in the Russian language, starting with Old Russian names, nicknames, which were gradually replaced by two-term names, and ending with a characteristic of the three-member structure of a person's personal naming.
References:
- Bondaletov V. D. Russian onomastics: Proc. allowance for students ped. in-t on spec. No. 2101 “Rus. lang. or T».. — M.: Enlightenment, 1983.
- Nikonov V. A. name and society. — M.: Nauka, 1974.
- Petrovsky N. A. Dictionary of Russian personal names. — M., 2005.
- The legend of the Mamaev battle // Zadonshchina: Zadonshchina. Chronicle of the Battle of the Don. The legend of the Mamaev battle / Foreword. B. Rybakova; Il. I. Glazunova. — In Old Church Slavonic and Russian. languages. — M.: Fiction, 1982.
- The story of both Peter and Fevronia of Murom // Old Russian literature / comp., commentary: S. N. Travnikova and others; intro. Art.: L. A. Olshevskaya, S. N. Travnikova; dev. thin formal. ser. A. V. Kopalin. — 2nd ed., erased. — M.: Bustard, 2003.
- The story of the life of Alexander Nevsky // Old Russian literature / comp., commentary: S. N. Travnikova and others; intro. Art.: L. A. Olshevskaya, S. N. Travnikova; dev. thin formal. ser. A. V. Kopalin. — 2nd ed., erased. — M.: Bustard, 2003.
- Walking to the Florence Cathedral // Monuments of Russian literature of the X-XVII centuries. / ed.: D. S. Likhachev, M. A. Salmin. — M.; L.: Nauka, 1970.
