The Buryat language belongs to the branch of the Mongolian languages. Its carriers are about 400 thousand people, mainly living in the Republic of Buryatia, as well as in northern Mongolia and north-west of China. The names of distant ancestors and ancestors were preserved in the memory of the people. There are people who can name the names of their ancestors up to the twentieth generation.
This memory and respect was reflected in the Buryat customs and traditions. In the folklore of the people you can find the names of real people. Honoring the ancestors is an important duty of the Buryats. In each clan, the memory of the predecessors, their special merits and achievements before the clan, interesting moments of life, and the abilities that they possessed are carefully preserved. The cult of ancestors in society was reflected in the formation of Buryat families, the features and history of this process will be discussed in the article.
Surnames of a foreign origin
Over the years, the Buryat population had close contacts with Turkic tribes, as well as the Tungus-Manchu peoples and ethnic groups of Central Asia. These cultural, domestic and economic ties have led to the fact that many Buryat names and surnames formed from them are of a foreign language origin. They are not explained in terms of the Buryat language, for example Tukhan, Malo, Nakhi, Buidar, Toodoy, Zonkhi.
Buryat language and its difficulties
Buryats are a community of ethnic groups of people with similar cultures, traditions and dialects. By the end of the 19th century, for convenience, they were administratively united into a single people. After 1917, a single Buryat-Mongolian language was introduced, based on the Mongolian vertical font, with its help speakers of different dialects could understand each other. In the 30s, this font was replaced by the Latin alphabet, and a little later by the Cyrillic alphabet, which negatively affected the language itself, since the Cyrillic alphabet could not demonstrate all its subtleties. It is for this reason that it is quite difficult to transfer personal Buryat names and surnames using modern writing.
History of family names
The history of the origin of Buryat surnames is very young. Until the second half of the 19th century, the Buryats, like the rest of the Mongol tribes, used the name of their father instead of clan names. For example, Aslan Tumer, which meant Aslan, the son of Tumer. When it became necessary to draw up official documents, it was decided to give the person a surname formed on behalf of his father, grandfather, great-grandfather or any ancestor.
In order for the Buryat surnames to be easily read, they were formed with the help of Russian family suffixes –ev, –ov, –in. Sometimes used endings -on, -o, -e. Thus, the names of Tsyrenov, Budaev, Sanzhiin, Baldano, Badmazhabe, Khandaev, Tsyrenov, Gomboin and others appeared.
The meaning of family names is closely related to the meaning of the names from which they are derived. In addition, Buryat surnames can reflect the personal qualities of the ancestor, his unique distinctive character traits. Very often the meaning of surnames is difficult to interpret due to distortions in spelling, scientists have to look for their meaning in other languages, for example Tibetan.
Surnames by characteristic of people
In ancient times, Buryat names were given according to the characteristic qualities of people. That is, they were common nouns.
In addition, cattle breeding terms could serve as a personal name. For example, common Buryat names, from which later the names were formed:
- Sagaan - means "white";
- Borsoy - “cringed”;
- Turgen - “fast”;
- Tabgay - means "foot or paw."
In Buryat epics are often found names that are metaphors. For example, the name Altan Shagai means “golden ankle”, the Buryat name Shukhaan Zurhen means “bloody heart” or Altan Haisha means “golden scissors”, the name Nara Luuga means “sun”, the name Sara Luuga means “moon” and so on. From these proper names there was a process of forming surnames, for example, Khukhenov, Khayshev, Shagaev.
Names and Superstitions
Many Buryat names are associated with superstitions. To protect the child from evil spirits, the following names were given: Archinsha, which means “drunkard”, Angaadha - “open”, Baahan - “kal”, Nohoy - “dog”, Azarga - “stallion”, Shono - “wolf”, Tehe - “goat”, Bukh - “bull”, Husa - “ram”. From these names surnames were formed.
Surname rules
All Buryat surnames and names are currently written in accordance with the rules of the Russian language.
- Rule number 1. Compound names in Russian are written together. For example, the name Darizhap is spelled in Russian, despite the fact that Dar-Zhab will be in Buryat.
- Rule number 2. The longitude in the surname is transmitted using a stressed vowel. For example, Babu Babu.
- Rule number 3. The final vowels "e", "a" in compound names are transmitted by the vowel "o". Exceptions are names with “and”, “y” in the first syllable. For example, in Russian Bato, and in the Buryat language Bata.
- Rule number 4. Vowels "e" and "a" before the last consonant can be transmitted through "e", "a", "and", "y", "s". For example, Udbal-Udbal.
- Rule No. 5. In some family names in the first syllable, the vowel “e” can be replaced by “s” or “and”. For example, Gepelmaa - Gypylma.
- Rule number 6. Instead of the vowels "e", "o", "a" after hissing is written "and". For example, Dasha - Dasha, Badja - Badji.
- Rule number 7. Voiced consonants at the end of the name before the deaf are replaced by deaf. For example, Sogto - Zokto.
- Rule number 8. The sound "w" is replaced by "c", or "h". For example, Oshor - Ochir, Shagan - Tsagan.
Modern surname education
Buryat surnames until 1917 had only baptized Buryats. The rest of the population used the name of the father instead of the generic name. Nowadays, surnames are formed from proper names, to which Russian family suffixes are added. For example, Tsyren - Tsyrenov.
Brief vowels of names are replaced by “y” or “o”. For example, the name Abido took shape in the surname Abiduev, on behalf of Shagdar the surname Shagdurov, from Bato - the surname Batuev.
Many Buryat surnames were formed using the suffixes “he”, “e”, “ah”, “in”. For example, Badmaeabe, Badmain, Simpilan. But this way of forming surnames is not very widespread. All these suffixes except “ai” are the legacy of the Old Mongolian language, while the suffix “ai” is an indicator of the genitive case of Buryat grammar.
Modern traditions
Today, the tradition has been preserved to use the name of the father as a surname. That is why many have the same middle name and last name. For example, Badmaev Vladimir Badmaevich. To avoid such coincidences, some people use the name of their great-grandfather or grandfather as a surname. Currently, the Buryats draw up surnames and patronymics in Russian likeness. That is, the surname of the father is passed on to the children, the girls change their surname when they get married.
Surnames borrowed from the Russian language
Among other things, the facts of borrowing surnames from the Russian language are known. For example, the surname Petrov turned into the Buryat surname Pitroob, Darwin was transformed into the Buryat surname Daarbin, and Lensky into Leenshe.
