Ossetian surnames are distinguished by a long and difficult process of formation. Sources of evidence of it are very limited. The origin of Ossetian families has long been of interest to prominent scientists of the world. To study the features of the formation of Ossetian surnames, the study of ethnographic, folklore and linguistic materials is of great importance.
Famous Ossetian historians, ethnographers, linguists, folklorists devote their articles to the study of the history of Ossetian families.
Distortions
There is evidence that during the tragic events in South Ossetia in the early 90's, Ossetians who remained in Georgia were forced to change their names. As a result, many Ossetian surnames today are so distorted in the Georgian nomenclature that their genuine appearance is difficult to restore.
The origins of the deformation of Ossetian surnames
Many historical documents, as well as inscriptions on gravestones indicate that, due to the circumstances in South Ossetia, before the revolution, Ossetian surnames were written with Georgian endings. Often they deformed beyond recognition. It was in the order of things for employees of the Georgian diocese.
Evidence of historians
According to historians, one of the reasons for the justification of Ossetians in the lowland territory of Georgia was the Christian faith. The written monuments emphasize that the residence of such a Christian Ossetian among the Georgian population is logical and desirable, because since he is a Christian, he is no longer an Ossetian, he should be considered a Georgian.
Assimilation
Ossetian surnames turned into Georgian as a result of the desire of clerical officials of Georgia to accelerate the assimilation of the Ossetian population. An important reason for the change of surnames was the desire of some Ossetians to be recorded under Georgian. They probably believed that this would provide them with certain privileges.
About Russian spelling of Ossetian surnames
Our article lists popular Ossetian surnames. The alphabetical list will give a complete picture of their wealth and diversity.
Traditionally relevant is the question of their transfer in Russian letters. Users ask: how more accurately are Ossetian surnames transmitted in the Russian record? A list of them with Russian correspondences to all Ossetians who want to write their last name in Russian, in the light of modern access to extensive information from many sources, will not be difficult.
Experts note that during the transfer of proper names from one language to another, phonetic changes are inevitable. Ossetian surnames are most similar to the original ones, copied in Russian with endings - you / ty. The most famous example is the name of the president of South Ossetia - Kokoity. There is an old tradition: in the texts Ossetian surnames are given Russian family endings -ov / ev.
Ossetian last names: list
The index of Russian correspondences of Ossetian surnames demonstrates the advantages of this tradition:
- variability by cases (forms in -i / you do not incline, which is inconvenient in the Russian language, which has six cases);
- the characteristic ending makes Ossetian surnames recognizable.
Alphabetically, a short list is given below. It contains some of the most common surnames:
- Alborov.
- Bedoevs.
- Bekuzarovs.
- Bekurovs.
- Butaevs.
- Gagievs.
- Dzutsev.
- Dudarovs.
- Kantemirovs.
- Mamievs.
- Plievs.
- Tedeevs.
- Fidarovs.
- Khugaevs.
This is how Ossetian surnames look in the Russian record. The list in alphabetical order is not presented in full, but fragmentary, like a sample.
Self identification
Recently, the influence of South Ossetia on its northern neighbor in the issue of self-identification has been increasing. It is unlikely that the North Ossetians themselves would have decided on such a step as writing their own names in their native language. They thought about it under pressure from the south.
“The names of the Ossetians are distorted beyond recognition! Their endings are not peculiar to the language or culture of the people! ” - the Ossetian politician Mira Tskhovrebova, the author of bills on issues of self-identification, beat the alarm bell in 2010. “We want to get on our feet!” We care about our prosperity! ” she cried out.
A Source for Recreating History
The main source for the reconstruction of historical events is folk traditions, with which individual Ossetian names and surnames are associated. As you know, family traditions have been passed down from generation to generation for centuries. With their help you can learn a lot: about the migrations of the people, the features of the formation of ethnic groups, resettlement, discover new things in the ethnic and cultural ties of Ossetians with other Caucasian peoples. They can also help in restoring the picture of family ties of Ossetian surnames. With the help of legends, the pedigree can be restored to the sixth, or even to the tenth generation.
What are the stories told about?
According to legend, during the period of the Ovsk kingdom, the names of the most ancient Ossetian families existed on the territory of present Ossetia. The most famous of them were: Sidamon, Tsarazrn, Kusagon, Aguzon and Zachilon. It is known that representatives of these genera emphasized the great importance of their own origin. This is reflected in many written monuments.
The name of the ancestor of the Sidamonov surname is elevated to the ancient Iranian name Spitaman. The surname Kusagon comes from the word "bowl." According to legend, the father of the ancestor of this surname left a precious bowl as an inheritance, hence the name Kusag.
The time of occurrence of this type of genealogy is before the Tatar-Mongol invasion. On the territory of the North Caucasus at that time, the Alanian association was the most political force. Traditions ascribe to the names of noble Ossetians ancestry from the Roman and Byzantine emperors.
Class privilege
The fixation of Ossetian surnames dates back to the 10-12th centuries. In the second half of the 17th century, the general use of surnames by the feudal lords of Tagauria and Digoria began. For a long time they were a privilege of the upper classes. The ruling circles opposed their spread among the lower classes. In the beginning, surnames took root among the Badelates and Aldars (the second half of the XVII - the beginning of the XVIII century). Later they took root at the Oazdanlags of Ualladzhir and Kurtat. Peasants received surnames from the Caucasian administration in the first half of the 19th century.
What is an Ossetian surname?
Many eastern peoples today do not inherit the surname. She changes depending on the name of the father.
Ossetian surnames have the following structure: “myggag” (Ossetian surname) is a related group consisting of patronyms (one or several) - “fydy-firt”, originating from a common ancestor. The Russian surname corresponds to the Ossetian "myggag".
The history of the Ossetian family: fydy-firt
In the distant past, Ossetians inseparably lived in large families. Brothers with wives and children and parents lived in the same family. Each family received the name by the name of its head. In rare cases, the family was called by the name of the mistress. This was possible with the early loss of her husband and with the great authority of the hostess.
Over time, large families grew. Some of their members sought to separate and manage their own households, which led to the collapse of families. Usually separated families settled not far from each other. But they also shared over time.
Fydy-firt (“children of one father”) - this is the name of the group of blood relatives, which was formed from the division of the original family. Its members were given the name of the father - the head of a large family from which she stood out.
Myggag
Myggag (surname) is a larger kinship group, which includes fydy-firt.
If the number of fydy-firt included in the iggag was small, they settled not far from each other, all its members retained the name of this iggag. But it happened that a certain part received a new name. Such cases include blood feud.
According to custom, the krovnik did not have the right to reside in the same place. Hiding from the persecution, he moved somewhere, changing his name. His family received his name, his offspring inherited it over time.
Each family remembered their former surname and passed on its memory from generation to generation. Surnames did not forget about their common origin, marriages between them were prohibited.
On the origin of the name of the Dzakhoevs
Researchers draw information about the origin of a particular Ossetian surname from various sources. This may be the memories of old-timers, archival data, etc. For example, Ossetian surnames with the letter “d” are quite numerous. One of the most famous is the Dzakhoevs. What is the origin of the surname?
The surname of the Dzakhoevs came from the name of the ancestor - Dzakho, who was born and lived in the village of Dalagkau (Kurtatin gorge).
In the fifth generation, he was a descendant of Kurtt. As old-timers recall, Dzaho had a large family. His sons hunted, were engaged in cattle breeding, daughters kept household.
Due to lack of land, the eldest sons of Dzaho settled in the territory of present-day South Ossetia. They called their new settlement “Kzhsagdzhynkom”, as fish were found well in the nearest mountain river. The sons of Dzaho built a house, uprooted the forest, developed land.
Suddenly, one brother died. The second married a local girl and created a large family. His descendants eventually formed the village of Dzakhoevs.
All Dzakhoevs, residents of South Ossetia, hail from this village. They are all descendants of the son of Dzaho. In the village of Dzakhoevs, none of them currently lives. Some went to North Ossetia, others to Tskhinval.
The oldest of the kind is Guiche. He lives in the village of Tarskoye (North Ossetia).
Dzaho with one of his sons lived in the village of Dalagkau (Kurtatin Gorge). The remaining sons and families settled in the village of Kartsa.
Old-timers recalled that all the sons of Dzaho were distinguished by courage, honesty, hard work, were good hunters. They ventured to get bears directly from the den, defeated both wounded and furious animals. Thanks to hard work, the descendants of Dzaho always lived well off, not knowing the need. The surname grew and husbands. But trouble did not pass them. At the beginning of the 10th century, a raging plague took away almost the entire surname. According to archives, only three Dzhakhoev families survived the epidemic.
In the 21st century, the name of the Dzakhoevs has 78 families. They live in different cities: Vladikavkaz, Beslan, Alagir, Tskhinval, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Volgograd, etc.
On the origin of the name of the Gabaraevs
Thanks to access to extensive information, it is easy to find out what history Ossetian surnames have for the letter "a", "b", "d" or any other. Scientists have studied the information about them contained in the archives, systematized the evidence of old-timers. Ossetian surnames on "g" are also studied. The Gabaraevs, Gagloevs, Gatsievs, Galavanovs are far from a complete list. Ossetian surnames for the letter "g" are quite numerous. What is the origin of the surname, for example, of the Gabaraevs?
Sources indicate that in the middle reaches of the Bolshaya Liakhva River (Dzau Valley) a large civilian community was located. Its central village was called Dzau. Around the community united neighboring, living nearby. Dozens of villages began to enter the large Dzauska society: Zalda, Guft, Orteu, Styrfaz, Goodis, Jer, Wanel, Sohta, Tli, Tson, Kola. The most numerous and influential were considered the Dzau surnames of the Bekoevs, Bestaevs, Gabaraevs, Gagloevs, Dzhioevs, Kabisovs, Kochievs, Kulumbekovs, Margievs, Parastaevs, Kharebovs, Tskhurbaevs, Chochievs. Among them, the name of the Gabaraevs (originally from the village of Zaldy) was one of the most influential.
Anthroponymy: a history of names
Beautiful Ossetian surnames conceal an ancient and very interesting history. Scientists believe that the names of Ossetians are older than their surnames and are the basis for the creation of the latter. Many common Ossetian names are of Greek, Latin, Persian, Byzantine, Arabic, Mongolian, Russian, Georgian, Turkic origin.
The abundance of Turkic names in Ossetian anthroponymy is considered the result of residence in the Middle Ages of such powerful Turkic peoples as Polovtsy, Volga Bulgarians, Khazars, next door to Alanya.
In the North Caucasus, Ossetians coexisted with Karachais, Balkars, Kumyks, Nogais. Close cultural and economic ties were established between peoples. They are evidenced by words borrowed by peoples from each other, which include their own names.
The studies provide many examples of such borrowings: Sophia (in Greek, “mind”), Wardi (in Georgian, “flower”), Peter (in Greek “stone”), Chermen (in Tat. “Palace” etc.), Amyrkhan, Aslanbek (contain Tatar titles: khan, bey), etc.
Origin of surnames
Surnames of Ossetians receive a name by the name of the ancestor. The names of the ancestor brothers also sometimes become the basis for new surnames.
It happens that sons refuse the father’s surname and make their names with surnames. So it was in the past, it can be observed at the present time, when the sons are afraid of blood feud and want to protect the lives of relatives who bear the name of their father. It happens that the “bloodmen” take the name of the one who protected them from blood feud.
In past centuries, the lower class was given the family name of their owner. More often, the family name was transferred by the man, but it happened that the children received the name of their mother.
Aslanbek and Buji, the heroes of the famous "Songs of Aslanbek", are called Zalons firtte. This means that they are the sons of Tsalon, that is, their mother is a woman from the Tsaloevs. By the name of the father, the name has always been considered much more honorable than by the name of the mother.
About the formation of family names
Here's how researchers explain the basic formula of Ossetian naming conventions: the family name comes first, the father’s name (“generic”) comes after it, and the name of the person follows. For example: Dzagurti Dzaboy firt Guybydi (Dzagurov Dzabola son of Gubadi). The female name has the only difference in the formula: in it, instead of the word “firt” (son), the word “kizga” (daughter) is inserted.
Since ancient times, the spelling of Ossetian last names, first names and patronymics has been consistent: the last name should be put in the genitive plural, and then the middle name (also in the genitive case), followed by the name in the nominative case. After writing the name of the father, it is necessary to indicate the gender (the son or daughter has the bearer of the surname to his father).
Etymology
According to researchers, among Ossetian families there are those that indicate a connection with the animal world. Some Ossetian surnames are associated with the geography of residence, with ethnonyms, with a specialty or social status. Ossetians have surnames formed from nicknames. It happens that Ossetian surnames indicate some character trait or an external sign of a person. Many are derived from borrowed names.
About the hoo component
It is not always possible to explain the etymology of the name. It is known that at the beginning of Ossetian family names the component “huy” is often found: Huy-gate, Huy-bate, Huy-biate, Huy-byte, etc. The component “huy” has many phonetic options: hua, heh, ha, hu, ho, which are found in various family names: Ho-zite, Ho-sante, Ho-sonte, etc.
What is the meaning of this component in the composition of family names? This question was asked by many researchers. It was not easy for them to believe that all these surnames are associated with the Ossetian name of the pig as a component of “huy”. They agreed that the “huy” in Ossetian surnames comes from the Iranian “hu” and means: “good”, “good”.
