The Ossetian language belongs to the northeastern branch of the Iranian group of the Indo-European family of languages. Therefore, native Ossetian anthroponyms in most cases find an etymological explanation from the data Iranian languages.

Ossetian anthroponymy is diverse in origin and multi-layered historically. The anthroponymic model of naming Ossetians is two-part: personal name and surname.

Thus, at present, from the point of view of grammatical design, Ossetians have two categories of anthroponyms:

1. surname - the hereditary part of the name, passed from generation to generation within one or another related group; the universal differential feature of Ossetian surnames is the suffix -tae, but there are exceptions;

2. a proper name is not a hereditary part of naming; her choice is not predetermined and is completely arbitrary; belong to her proper names official and domestic, nicknames, pseudonyms, diminutives, endearments and other derivative forms of names. The usual order is that the surname in the genitive case is placed first, then the name in the nominative case: Abayty Vaso (Abaev Vasily), Malita Azee (Malieva Aza).

The category of patronymic, which exists among Russians and some other peoples, has not received any special grammatical design among Ossetians, and in family and everyday communication it is still not customary to call even very old people by name and patronymic.

When directly addressing old people, Ossetians use the word dada or baba in the Russian meaning of “grandmother”, “grandfather”. And men of the father’s age are addressed by name or, if he is unfamiliar, by a combination of words nog fydy hai letters, “part of our father” " And when addressing old women, Ironians use the word dzitsa, nana, Digorians - nana and datssy, Kudaro-jawtsy - jiji in the meaning of “grandmother”, “mother”, and when addressing a woman of her mother’s age, they call her by name or, if she is unfamiliar, a combination of words nae mada hai letters, “part of our mother.”

On especially solemn occasions, but not when addressed directly, the patronymic is expressed descriptively in two ways:

1. the name of the father is called in the form of the genitive case, followed by the word firt “son” or chyzg “daughter”, then the name of the person about whom we're talking about, for example: Daebusy firt Soltan “Dabush’s son Soltan”, Aslaemyrzaayy chyzg Azaukhan “Aslamurza daughter Azaukhan”.

2. the name of the person in question is called in the form of the nominative case, then the name of his father in the form of the genitive case, followed by the word firt or chyzg, for example: Zaurbeg Khaaevdyny0yrg'3aurbekKavdin's son", Azauhan Aslayemyrzaeyy chyzg "Azaukhan Aslamurza daughter" .
These ways of expressing patronymics differ stylistically.

The personal names currently in use among Ossetians are divided according to their origin into two: large groups: native Ossetian and borrowed.

The native Ossetian layer of anthroponyms includes such- male names like Alan, Ama, Astan, Gytsyl, Dzante, Dziu, Dzardag, Iryston, Kuydzi, Kudzag, Nani, Fidar, Tokh, Khos-dzau, Shaukuydz, Shagka, Tsola, etc., and such female names, like Alae, Alanae, Ashi, Zharetae, Zonetae, Kafetae, Uarzhetae, Nalkuta, Zardiruhs, Khuydaye (Where), Zariffae, Fyrdo, Tsae-maehyuyd.

Names borrowed from Russians include male names Adam, Azhi, Aleg, Andrey, Afanas, Alykshandir, Bagdan, Baron, Mikaala, Niko, Victor, Lademyr, Gleb, Count, Grishaev, Geor, Grigor, Efim, Dauyt, Dimityr, Ivan, Kuzhma , Zakhar, Innae, Kiril, Ishakh, Khoshta, Makar, Maxim, May, April, September, Vladlen, Kim, Petro, Raman, Sergi, Stepan, Prisoner, etc. and female Aza, Angellae, Annae, Afinat, Bellae, Verka , Vera, Violeta, Dulla, Svetlanae, Zhannae, Zoyae, Inessae, Irae, Kirae, Katya, Kima, Lyuba, Marina, Marfae, Machine, Shashinkya, Ualinka, Muzaev, Nadezhdae, Poly, Palinae, Rozov, Ruffae, Khristinae, Emma , Sherafin, Stellae.

Turkic and Mongolian names they are so “fused” in the Ossetian language that it is difficult to distinguish them. Therefore, we combine them into one layer. This layer is represented by such male names as Adylbi, Azhaemaet, Aidar, Aslan, Abai, Babai, Bagatyr, Basa, Baetae, Bebe, Gurgen, Dashka, Dole, Dzagur, Kermen, Nokh, Khan, Chingiz, Batyr, Beg, Bekyzhae, Tugan, Gaelaeu, Dengiz, Drish, Elbay, Inal, Tambi, Tamerlan, Temyr, Temuchi, Uzbek, Iman, Khara-man, Taetaerkhan, Khyzhylbeg, etc., and such female ones as Bibi, Bysyn, Gogyzh, etc. Arabic names brought into the Ossetian name book by Islam: male names - Abdul, Abdurah-man, Amin, Ali, Arab, Baki, Bekir, Gala, Ibrahim, Efendi, Kerym, Mamshyr; Makhamet, Mahmud, Murat, Muslim, Ramazhan, Shalym, Salad, Shafar, Sholaman, Hadzybechyr, Khabar, Hassan,. Khazhuat, Khuyrman, Hanafi; female names - Alimat, Amina, Aminat, Billa, Jamila, Zeida, Leila, Madinat, Mecca, Muslimat, Nissa, Shahidat, Khadijat, Haniffa, Kaaba, Taira, Takhirat, Fatima.

There are also many Persian names in Ossetian anthroponymy, namely: male ones - Bakhtan, Baga, Bola, Bulat, Dzibo, Zibokka, Ziba, Iran, Mali, Nauyryzh, Rustem, Kha-rum, Khyhyrman; women's - Bobolkaf, Gulit, Gulya, Jaeli, Lala, Sakkyn, Saekinaet, Tazhe, Firuza, Khanuma.

Distributed among Ossetians and Georgian names: male - Amran, Bagrat, Batyi, Bitsikyo, Bitsyo, Gayoz, Gege, Gogi, Goji, Givi, Glakha, Guram, Gutsuna, Gogosh, Torga, Dianoz, Ephi, Eryshtau, Jauyr, Zhnauyr, Kalo, Kartlisi, Kaelaeti, Mukha , Toki, Khareba, Tsotsko; women's - Meret, Gogona, Dedi, Keto.

Etymologically, Ossetian names are varied. Many are formed from ethnonyms, since in ancient times the Ossetians gave special magical meaning names of tribes, clans, nationalities and their divisions. Thus, Alanae goes back to the ethnonym Alans, Shermzt to the ethnonym Sarmatians, Aguyzh, Aguydza, Aguyzhar - to the ethnonym Oguzes, Gaguydz, Guyze - to the ethnonym Gagauzes, Nog'a - to the ethnonym Nogais, Rusa, Rusi, Rusikyo - from Rus', Uyryshton, Uyryts - from uyrysh (Ossetian “Russians”).

Another group of names is associated with the ancient totemic beliefs of the Ossetians, for example: Arshaemoeg from the ancient -Iran. Arsha “bear”, Wari “falcon”, Fyrdi, Fyrdo “ram”, Warkhag “wolf”, Byndz “fly”, Ephi (Georgian) “wolf”, Kuydzi, Kuydzag “dog”, Shkuyr (Kabard) “puppy” .

A group of theophoric names is distinguished. Thus, the male names Aztse and Gaito come from the name of the ancient Scythian god Gaitosir, and the female name Athenatus comes from the name of the Greek goddess Athena.
Quite often there are names derived from toponyms: Adesh (Odessa), Abkhaz, Amur, Ararat, Barjon, Bukhar, Daghistan, Tehran, Jordan, Dushanbeg, Izrayil, Ispan, Myshirbi (Misra “Egypt”), China, Cairo, Morocco, Mecca, Tavriv.

Some social terms have become names, for example: Barine (feminine) from the Russian barynya; Beg, Bechi (masculine) from Turkic, bek, Bibi (feminine) from Turkic, bibi “mistress”, Zhauyr, Zhnauyr (masculine) from Georgian aznaur “simple nobleman”, Eryshtau (masculine) from Georgian Eristavi.

Female names are sometimes based on names precious stones and metals: Zalina “golden”, Zolotkae from the Russian Zolotka, Ferdyg Ossetian “bead”. There are Ossetian names - characteristics appearance: Borae “blond”, Shaui “black”, Shyrkhau “reddish”, Shokhykhyr - Sokkur “blind”, Gobi “mute”, Gytsyl, Khyzhyl “small”.

There is no category of grammatical gender in the Ossetian language. There is no clear division of personal names into male and female, although some stand out in their semantics as masculine (Shaukuydz, Almakhshit, Dzante), and others as feminine (Zalinae, Ashi, Zharetae). Many names are used as both male and female (Kuydzi, Tazhe, Dzibka).

Behind Lately under the influence of the Russian language, a tendency appeared to form female names from male ones using the ending a/ae: Alan - Alanae, Albin - Albinae, Kim - Kimae, Marklen - Marklenae. This trend will obviously develop, but for now the possibilities of forming female names in this way are very limited.

Oleg and Valentina Svetovid are mystics, specialists in esotericism and occultism, authors of 15 books.

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Ossetian names

Ossetian male and female names and their meaning

Ossetian names They are very diverse and include both native Ossetian and borrowed names.

Original Ossetian names are divided into two groups:

Names that have retained connections with individual words in the Ossetian language (for example, Akhsar - courage, Zerine - gold).

Names whose meaning is lost (for example, Gabo, Xetag, Pese). Probably, these names were inherited from the peoples with whom the ancestors of the Ossetians communicated in ancient times.

The differences between the Ossetian dialects (Ironian and Digorsky) were also reflected in the names, which led to the appearance of two variants of some names (for example, Chermen - Kermen).

Borrowed names are divided into two groups:

Christian religion , which began to spread across Ossetia in the 10th century by Russian and Georgian missionaries.

Names related in origin to Muslim religion, which spread in the North Caucasus in the XIV-XV centuries.

Ossetian language belongs to the Iranian branch of Indo-European languages. While retaining linguistic features, it was influenced by Caucasian languages.

The names given to the children of the peoples of the North Caucasus are homogeneous. They were formed on the basis of similar mountain peoples principles. However, each people of the Caucasus has its own traditions when choosing a name for a newborn. In this article we will look at how Ossetian names for boys and girls came about and what significance they have. We will also tell you which are the most popular and frequently used.

How did ancient Ossetian names originate?

All names of a given people are divided into three large groups. The formation of these groups was greatly influenced by all sorts of factors, for example, religion, the seizure of territories by other peoples. The first group includes national names, which are associated with the heroes and characters of the Alan epic.

The second group includes such ancient names, the emergence of which is associated with the development of Christianity. When they were formed, two forms appeared at once: both Russian and Georgian. This includes following names: Michal, Dimitar, Vano, Vaso, Ilia and others. Many names remain popular today.

The third group includes such names, which were formed under the influence of the Muslim religion. Almost all of them had Arab origin(Murat, Alikhan, Amina, Muslim), as well as Turkic (Dengiz, Uzbek, Abay). Many names Ossetians taken from the Iranian peoples, who are considered the ancestors of the Ossetians (Alan, Alana, Roksolan, Roksolana, Sarmat).

Beautiful Ossetian names for girls

Thus we see that Ossetian female names are beautiful not only in its sound, but also in meaning.

Ossetian male names and their meanings

Names for boys, modern and ancient, are associated with all sorts of legends and myths. This is a list of such names:

The names of Ossetians, like those of many nationalities, are replete with diversity and richness of sound; their deep meaning is distinguished by a special meaning. And due to the fact that the Ossetian language also has dialects, male Ossetian names can be found in two or three versions, and they have the same interpretation. For example, the names Chermen and Chabahan (good-natured) are pronounced differently, but interpreted the same. And if you consider that many beautiful Ossetian male names came from Russian, Arabic, Iranian, Turkic and Georgian names, then it is not surprising that this influenced their sound.

Origin of Ossetian male names

For parents who want to name their sons according to Ossetian traditions, it is important to understand that not all the names of this people are traditional, many of them are also associated with Islam and Christianity. Therefore, when looking through Ossetian names for boys, you need to focus not only on the beautiful sound, but also find out what exactly a specific name means. Otherwise, incidents may arise. For example, male old name Aguz is translated as “loafer”, and Khatag is translated as “tramp”. And in order to make a favorable choice, it is better to find out first exact value Ossetian names for boys.

The Ossetian people have always treated animals and birds with reverence, believing that they have magical power. And many called their sons totemic names, believing that this will serve as a talisman for them. And today, parents give beautiful Ossetian names for boys in honor of animals and birds. Examples include: Aslan (lion), Tsargas (eagle), Ruvash (fox), Kudza (dog) and Digis (cat). Toponymic names were also in use, many of them are still in use (Elbrus, Kazbek, Altai). Today the list of Ossetian male names is so extensive that it is sometimes very difficult to make a choice.

New Ossetian male names

Many names arose during the spread of Christianity in the Caucasus, which is how modern Ossetian names for boys appeared. For example, Vaso (Vasily) and Geor (George). Popular male names include Azamat (great), Rustam (giant), Murat (desired) and others. In addition, the tradition of using the prefixes “khan” and “bek” (Alikhan, Zaurbek), indicating that the owner of the name is a noble person, has been preserved to this day. You can also quite often find the element “bolt” - an element that came from the Turks and means “steel” (Dzambolat, Kasbolat).

Ossetian names are strongly influenced by Caucasian languages. At the same time, being an Indo-European language, the Ossetian language still retains linguistic features that make it similar to the Russian language. Personal Ossetian names can be divided into three groups.

The first group usually includes native Ossetian names. Such names differ from others in that they contain components that are connected with words in the modern Ossetian language. For example, Saukidze - “black dog”, zarete - “sing”.

A number of names come from ethnonyms, since in ancient times Ossetians attached magical meaning to the names of localities and tribes. Another category of names originated from the ancient totemic beliefs of the Ossetians. Also, a number of names originate from toponyms.

At the same time, most native Ossetian names have a meaning that is difficult to distinguish. For some names, based on the modern Ossetian language, it is no longer possible to determine the meaning. Such names include the names Aseh, Gabo and others.

There is an assumption that such names were inherited from the languages ​​of those peoples with whom the Ossetians communicated in the distant past. Moreover, in ancient times these names could sound differently. Old names, which are gradually falling out of use, are being replaced by new names. Thus, thanks to the existing difference between the two Ossetian dialects, several variants of some names have appeared. For example, Chermen - Kermen, Chabekhan - Kiabekhan and others.

Some social terms have become names. For example, Barine comes from the Russian word for "lady"; Bibi - from the Turkic “bibi” (“mistress”). Many women's names originate from the names of precious stones and metals.

The second group of Ossetian names consists of names associated with Christianity. Both Russian and Georgian missionaries baptized Ossetians. Thus, the canonical christian names spread in Ossetia in both Russian and Georgian form. This is how the names Vano, Vaso, Nino and others were established in the Georgian form. The names Zurap, Vakhtang, etc. were also borrowed from Georgian. Most Georgian names can be found among South Ossetians.

The names Alyksandyr, Geor, Ire, Lezinka and others were borrowed from the Russian language and then modified.

The third group includes names that are related in origin to the Muslim religion. Islam spread in the Caucasus in the 14th and 15th centuries and embraced part of the North Ossetians. Thus, a significant part of the personal names that became traditionally Ossetian came to the Ossetians from the Arabic language. Such names include the names Alikhan, Ilas, Murat and others.

A characteristic feature of this group is that many of the names of the group came to the Ossetians through the languages ​​of neighboring peoples - Chechens, Ingush, Circassians and others. From this, traces of their origin have been preserved in a number of names. For example, the names Afekhyo and Sozyrykhyo have a final element that in Kabardian-Circassian naming means “son”.

A large number of names have the ending “-khan”, which have Turkic roots and mean “lord”. This ending is often attached not only to Muslim names, but also to other names, both male and female. Another Turkic word “bek”, which is part of many male names, has a similar meaning.

Male names of Muslim origin often contain another Turkic element - “bolat”, meaning “steel”. For example, Akhbolat, Dzambolat and others.

For female names that have retained their original Arabic sound, the ending “-et” is characteristic. For example, Aminet, Zamiret, Afinet and others.

Names of Muslim origin usually include Turkic and Mongolian names (Abai, Dengiz, Uzbek, etc.), Arabic names(Ali, Muslim, Amina, etc.), Persian names (Ziba, Iran, Rustem, etc.).

Just as in other languages, along with official names in the speech of Ossetians, there are also their diminutive forms, nicknames and pseudonyms. Diminutive names were most often given to their children by mothers. This is why such names are called “mady nom” or “mother’s name”. Most of these names are formed by shortening official names. However, their reduction is free. You can often find different abbreviations for the same names. For example, the affectionate diminutive forms Baegi, Bri and Ibri refer to one name - Ibrahim.

Diminutive names are not always associated with full official names. In some cases they are formed from common nouns. So, they can be formed from words that appear in children's speech. Modern diminutive names are formed by means of the Russian language, namely the suffixes “–ka”, “–ochka” and others.

In the Ossetian language there is no clear division of names into male and female. Some names fall into one or another category based on their semantics. For example, Shaukuydz or Almakhshit are considered masculine names, and Ashi or Zalinae are considered feminine names. Big amount names are given to both boys and girls.

Due to the influence of the Russian language, female names began to be formed from male ones using the ending “-a” or “-ae”. For example, Alan-Alanae, Kim-Kimae and others.

The patronymic name, common among Russians and a number of other peoples, is not common among Ossetians. IN family circle Even very old people are not called by name and patronymic. Old people are usually called “dada” or “baba”. It is customary to address men of the older generation by name, and when addressing unknown men“noye fydy hai lith” is added to the name, which means “part of our father.” Old women are addressed as “nana” or “dazzi”, and when addressing an unfamiliar elderly woman, it is customary to add “nae mada hai letters” (“part of our mother”).

On special occasions, the patronymic can be expressed in two ways. In the first case, the father's name is taken in the genitive case, followed by the word "firt" (son) or "chyzg" (daughter), and then the name of the person in question. For example, “Daebusy firt Soltan” should be understood as “Soltan son of Dabush.”

In the second version, first the name of the person in question is called, then in the genitive case the name of his father, and only after the word “firt” or “chyzg”. For example, Soltan Daebusy firt.

List of Ossetian names