Names - an Echo of Love. Listening Intently.
80An Echo of Love. Meaningful or Mean?
Every child is an echo of love. First of all, of physical love. All those incidents have different names – love, love-making, sex and others that I am not so fond of. A child is an echo of generations of people who came before him/her.
I hope that most children are born with love and named with love. The time when a name is chosen is the time when parents are full of hope and they try to celebrate the beginning of a new life with a meaningful name.
A meaningful name. Meaningful or mean?
Out of so many, names and meanings, parents try to select one that will make a life journey…
Here it becomes tricky – to make a life journey what?
- Successful?
- Joyful?
- Beautiful?
- Pleasant?
- Radiant?
A chosen name will echo every day with parental love for many years to come. Hear, hear, hear.
Be careful. Love there may be, but you send your child into the mean, mean world. The name that you have chosen with love may be proclaimed stupid and your child will be greeted with meanness, cruelty, ignorance, and intolerance. Those things have a long echo, too.
Stupid names. How to make a sensible choice?
Think about it. Would you like to name your son a Soldier? No?
Hold your horses.
I like the name Armando, I like the way it rolls off the tongue. It is a popular Spanish name, there is nothing wrong with it or so it seems. I have asked my friend Armando what the name means. He said “a gentleman”. He has not looked it up, I have.
Armando means … Soldier. It is obvious, if you look at the word carefully – “army” just jumps out!
Arma(s)-,
Arma-da (fleet of warships),
Arma-geddon (The last battle between good and evil before the Day of Judgment).
Armando, caballero, cavalier, cavalry.
Speaking of soldiers, horses, men on horses and gentlemen. A Spanish soldier on a horse – caballero. Caballero is a gentleman. Cavalier, cavalry. Notice how one word echoes another. Words are interconnected. There is a Russian song about cavalry that I like. Listen intently – you can hear cavalry advancing. It is speculated that the song was written in 1828, it was the time when elite forces were mounted. Then it was sung during the First World War and Civil War (1920s). One song – many variations of lyrics. One name – multitude of associations.
The sounds have a long life, especially if they are good. Sounds, names, words, and melodies.
This is my little tribute to Armando, Spanish, soldiers and Love. You can hear the word Amour. I always loved the sound of it, Amour is the name of the River in the Far East. Whether it is related to amor/amour in Latin languages, I don’t know. These days I tend to find connections in places where I least expect. Love or Amour, I always loved the Fairy Tales of Amour.
The lyrics in both songs tell the story of 1920s, but the video clips portray 1940s. Don’t mind the images, listen to the melody. Listen to the echo. Spanish version is slower, Russian version is truer to the tempo of the song. Cavalry is advancing…
People. What People?
I don’t like the name Herman. Whose man? Her-Man? Armando comes from Herman. It is an old Germanic name meaning Soldier. Obviously.
In Russian, the version of Herman reads German (read “g” as in gal). My second cousin’s name is German. I cannot even write “My second cousin is German” because it will mean his nationality and not his name. I often wondered how he got such a German name after Russians fought Germans in two World Wars. But a name is a name. His parents made a choice and that choice was justified. They had a son and a daughter and they named them after the personages from the book “The Queen of Spades” by Alexander Pushkin – Lisa and German. Romantic.
Some people would say “How stupid!” Armando, Herman, German, …
“[…] what people are you talking about? And who are the people anyway? Is there any difference between the people, the populace, society, the mob, the nation, or the masses? What do you call those millions of people who run enthusiastically after their leaders, carrying their portraits and chanting their senseless slogans? If you mean that the people are the best of those millions, then you have to admit the people consist of very few people. But if the people are the majority, then I should tell you that the people are stupider than any one person. It’s much more difficult to convince one individual of an idiotic idea than an entire people.” (“Moscow 2042”, Vladimir Voinovich)
An empty vessel makes the greatest sound.
To answer the question – what it the stupidest name?
I read an article that called for action.
- Truly awful baby names. When Choosing a name for your baby steer clear of these stinkers
After surveying hundreds of individuals on Hubpages, Facebook, Twitter and through my personal blog www.mikicagle.blogspot.com (how's that for shameful promotion?) I have compiled a list of the worst children's names of all time.
“An unspeakable crime is being committed against innocent children all over the nation each and every day and it's time someone expose this shameful parental practice. I'm talking about a crime so heinous it has long lasting, negative effects on the children who are forced to participate in this miscarriage of justice.
The crime is: BAD BABY NAMES”
[By the way, I have corrected mistakes made by the author who happens to be a teacher. Maybe I should have left them in order to demonstrate some … I am being mean. What I mean is …]
I love children and I love names. I am a soldier for justice. I am an Armanda for Justice. Do you hear Cavalry Advancing? Do you hear an Armada coming? Do you hear the beginning of Armageddon? Listen intently.
The statement made by the author is very LOUD.
· Unspeakable, heinous crime! Bang! Bang! Bang!
· Shameful parental practice! Bang! Bang! Bang!
· Children who are forced! Bang! Bang! Bang!
· Miscarriage of Justice! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Just take out an empty metal pot and bang on it. In all that hubbub, nobody would hear anything. Not the sound of reason, not even the start of Armageddon.
Bad baby names? The author denounced Electra, Damien and Simon, to name a few. Some readers and I tried to appeal to reason, but failed. It was hard to be heard with all that noise.
I have been interested in names and their meanings for a long time. Names became my passion. My selective hearing is responsive to the echo of love of generations of parents, of different nations, of the whole world. I can hear their love. I bet you anything, you can hear it, too. Just listen intently.
Not to convince the author in anything, but to write my own series on names, I decided to start with one name only. Hear, hear, hear. Names are words, words are names, this topic is as infinite as the universe. This time I will do it differently.
Electra, Damien or Simon?
I picked Simon.
I quote: “Kallilni2010- Electra and Damien-PU both names stink for children.”
I will leave alone stinking names. I will not even pick a fight for my own name
– Kallini not Kalli-L-ni, not this time. But I noted. I don't like liberties with my name either. You will remember me. You will remember all of my names. (What? No sense of humour?)
Simple Simon met a pieman
Going to the fair;
Says Simple Simon to the pieman,
"Let me taste your ware."Says the pieman to Simple Simon,
"Show me first your penny."
Says Simple Simon to the pieman,
"Indeed, I have not any."
Poor Simon. Not a good choice. It gets worse.
"Simon- I am really, really sorry for saying this but I am not very fond of a relative's choice when naming his new son. The name Simon conjures up visions of a squeaky, singing, mouse in my head. I hope little Simon doesn't have any siblings with the names Theodore or Alvin in the future. My husband is betting he will have a little brother named Garfunkel-we'll just have to wait and see."
Simon Peter.
What were they thinking?
No, really, what were they thinking? Those stupid, delinquent parents?
Don’t ask me, I don’t know. Maybe they have not watched the movie “Alvin and the Chipmunks”. I haven’t. But I have made an adjustment to my list of stupid names: Electra, Damien, Alvin, Theodore.
But back to Simple Squeaking Simon.
Simon is a Jewish name meaning “to hear or be heard”.
Link: http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/1/Simon
Variations for boys: Shimon, Si, Sim, Simen, Simeon, Simmonds, Simmons, Simms, Simone, Simonson, Simpson, Symms, Symon, Syms and Szymon.
Spanish Version : Ximenes – listening intently.
Variations for girls: Shimona, Shimonah, Simeona, Simmina, Simona, Simonetta, Simonette, Simonia, Simonina, Simonna, Simonne, Symona and Symone.
“Simon” – to hear or be heard, just substitute.
Simon me – hear me (out).
I want to be Simon(e) – I want to be heard.
There was no answer, only an echo – Simon – mon – mon – mon – on – on – on …
Father Starsky & Genialissimo
Startismal Names.
What do names reflect? Besides love? Names reflect times when people live. Before Russians took Christianity they had Slavic names with Slavic meanings. Obviously. With Christianity came Greek, Roman and Jewish names. Few Slavic names survived. Now, if you try to use an old Slavic name, you will be denounced as mentally ill. After the Revolution of 1917, there was a surge of creativity – new names were created like “Revolution”, “Industrialization”, but most of them are long gone. They were stupid or believed to be stupid. After all, people are too conservative.
Two of my favourite authors Vladimir Voinovich and Victor Pelevin never fail to entertain the theme of names. More often than not, the effect is hilarious.
The novel “Moscow 2042” by Vladimir Voinovich is an anti-antiutopia if you wish and it involves three distinct regimes that were established in Russia (the Soviet Union): socialism (reality), communism (speculation) and monarchy (speculation). People change names every time the regime changes: from atheist (normal) names to startismal names to baptismal names (there was some creativity and liberties there, too).
“…real communism had become possible as a result of the Great August Communist Revolution, which had been prepared and carried out under the personal leadership and with direct participation of the Genialissimo. “I hope you’ve understood,” he said, “that the Genialissimo is our dear, beloved, and only leader.”
“Yes,yes,” I said. “I guessed that. Except I don’t really see what the word Genialissimo means. What is it – a first name, a last name, a rank, or a post?”
“It’s all those things,” said Smerchev. “You see, we Communites all have names that we’re given at birth which are later replaced by the names we’re given when we’re startized. Those are our startismal names. They reflect a person’s basic activity. The name Genialissimo arose quite naturally. That is because the Genialissimo is simultaneously the general secretary of our party, holds the military rank of generalissimo, and, moreover stands apart from everyone in the scope of his genius.”
Funny: it was a Russian tradition to give one name at birth and then rename a child at the age of seven. Changing names is not such a new idea and not a bad one. It is never too late. Maybe I should be Armanda or Revolution?
Genialissimo’s successor and antagonist is Sim Simych Karnavalov. His name was not created during the time of Revolution, communism or any other social upheaval. It was consired normal, yet slighlty ridiculous. Simon? Can you imagine? Sim? Stupid.
“Our romance ended when Zilberovich met Sim Simych Karnavalov. Hearing that name for the first time, I said that no half-decent writer could ever have a name like that. A master of ceremonies or an accountant, but a writer? Never. At the time I could not image that. I would grow used to the name, however; it would not only seem normal to me, but would even assume great significance in my life.”
But Sim Simych becomes fairly successful in the book. He becomes the best writer in the world. At least he believes so. Then he manages to create a cult and becomes the ruler of Russia, not too bad a result for a writer. Maybe I will also be…
“…By the way, do you happen to know why [Sim] has such a strange name?”
“I did happen to know, because I had heard the story of his name’s origin from the lips of Sim Simych himself. His father had also been called Sim by his comrades in arms, his full name being Simeon. Simeon Glebych. But he liked being called Sim, and so he decided to name his son Sim. When people asked him what the name meant, he would say, “Simple. SIM stands for Smash the Ixploiters of Money.”
“That’s not right,” someone would say. “It’s exploiters, not ixploiters, and so you should have named him Sem.”
But Karnavalov would have none of it. Sem sounded too bourgeois, the boy’s name was Sim.”
A skunk sat on a stump. The stump thought the skunk stunk. The skunk thought the stump stunk. What stunk? The skunk or the stump?
As usual, there are a few things lost in translation. When Sim’s father was trying to spell out SIM, he made a few attempts, but all of them included misspelled words showing his illiteracy.
There is an interesting detail: Sim’s father was first “a Baltic Sea Sailor, a commissar on the cruiser Aurora, and later the people’s commissar for higher education.”
So much for education. Some of our teachers also do not know enough. For example, about names.
To say that “Electra and Damien stink for children!” (a rather peculiar statement coming from a teacher).
A heinous crime is not choosing a bad name (a name that some other people might dislike), a heinous crime is illiteracy. I choose literacy versus illiteracy. I am literal. Names do not stink. People do. Among other things…
But I have also had illiterate teachers. One teacher was funny because she made mistakes in pronunciation and she was teaching … Russian language and literature. Was she terrible with written language, too? I don’t remember. But she was a fervent member of the Communist Party. We disliked each other tremendously.
So?
What is my point? My point is Zero. My point is circular. You have your associations and I have mine. Simon is not my favourite name. Never was.
Jewish meaning “to hear or to be heard” is lost on Russian ears.
Russian version (pronunciation) Siemyon, Syoma reminds me more of “a seed”. Of Love or Hatred?
English “Simon” – I looked up the words that are closest in the dictionary – simony and simon-pure are not too bad.
A squeaky mouse? You make your own associations and your own choices.
Jews are not very lucky. Maybe because they tend to name their children with stupid names. People dislike Jews, their names and their children. There were attempts to wipe them out completely, the last attempt failed.
[Notice – May 1st - the Holocaust Remembrance Day]
But “love” stayed. Anti-semitism is still alive. And so it sims “anti-simonism”.
Listen intently, simple Simons and Simones – change your names before it is too late. Before somebody starts another campaign against names and Jews. Change your names or take your stench back to Israel.
“But I am not a Jew”, you may squeak as a little cowardly mouse. Why do you have a Jewish name then?
“Hear”, “hear me out”…
No, I am deaf. I don’t speak YOUR language. I hate the name. Simons & Simones. I don’t “hear”.
“Crucify him!” – ordered the Tsar (Sim Simych). When he came to rule Russia, he brought back Christianity and crucifixion among other things. He was quite insane.
It does not matter – don’t you dare repeat an Echo of Love that Jews put in naming THEIR children with the name “Hear”. It is only a phonetic echo, the meaning is lost. Without meaning, it’s nothing. Squeak, squeak, squeak. No meaning, no name.
In fact, let’s ban the word Simon(e) altogether.
In “Moscow 2042”, the communist regime that preceded monarchy tried to fight the cult of Sim Simych by eliminating the word “sim”.
“By exiling Karnavalov from the country, the authorities of that time had hoped to put an end to the movement [Simites], but they miscalculated seriously. The movement not only did diminish, but, quite the opposite, it gained such sweep that it became a genuine threat to the security of the state.
[…]
“So that means, one way or the other, you squashed the movement?” I said hopefully.
“What do you mean!” said Dzerzhin with a bitter grin. “On the contrary, crushing it was just the beginning. The movement took on forms that are impossible to combat. There is no organizational structure, no one joins it, no one leaves it.”
[…]
“there had been a sudden rash of certain words being used quite frequently and not always properly – words like simplification, simulate, simile, simian – and many semiliterate types had begun writing words like simaphor and simantics, and expressions like “it sims to me”. It cost the Editorial commission no little effort to expose and curtail sabotage of this ilk.”
One word that could not be thrown out of the language was the word “Genialissimo”. Every time anyone used the word “Genialissimo”, he used the word “Sim” as well.
“Genialissimo” started a revolution to construct communism and he succeeded, Sim came later to establish monarchy and succeeded as well. Both were extremes, you would not want to live under either of those maniacs. Sim was much worse, he was unyielding.
Now, following the logic of the author of “Awful Names – Awful people”. Simon(e) can be a squeaky mouse. Or Simon can become a famous writer and become an insane ruler. Armandas and Armandos will become soldiers, maybe not on horses, but they might participate in Armageddon. If Armageddon is too far away, then a crusade against stupid names might do.
I hope to be heard.
I don’t hate names, Jews and even the author of the article. I don’t hate. I have strong feelings of disagreement. I don’t like all the names, but I like the idea of listening intently and trying to understand.
But what you resist, persists. There is another possibility.
Parents name their children with love. Let them do it the way they want. A good name will have a good echo and will survive, a bad name can be changed. A bad choice might be a mistake, but a crime?
The first name that a Russian child got in times before Christianity was always a bad one. The reasoning was simple – to avoid evil spirits taking a child away (evil spirits? Infant mortality.) At seven, survivors got good names.
Parents have a right for choosing a name and they cannot please everyone. Don’t make fun of names – “hear people out”, the reasons for their choices. Try to accept children and their names for they are an echo of Love.
I hope to be heard. I hope to be Simon(e) . Is that how it goes in Jewish?
Listen to the Echo of Love. Just listen intently. Listen to Anna German.
Was she a soldier? She was a singer, a very talented Polish singer who had a very tramautic life. Maybe she was a Warrior because she had the courage to overcome her adversities. She was a singer of Love.
This song “Echo of Love” is not about parents and children, it is about two people in love separated by distance. [I apologize for the translation, poetry is really hard to translate.]
The specks of stars will cover the sky
Branches will curve in resistance
I will hear you from one thousand miles
We are an echo, we are an echo
We are a long echo of each other.
No matter how far away you are
I'll touch you with my heart
Love has called us again
We are tenderness, we are tenderness
We are eternal tenderness of each other.
And even in a place of crawling darkness
On the other side of the circle of death
I know we will never part
We are memory, we are memory
We are star memory of each other.
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Names - an Echo of Love Stories
- Names - an Echo of Love. I Will Remain the Light for You.
Names reflect character. A story told using my own name as an example. The power of suggestive command - subconscious reaction to the meaning of a name. - Names - an Echo of Love. Born Under the Name Kallini.
From Italian music to red girls and red words, to Russian berries, hardening of steel, calla lilies, my Greek past and overall beauty that is hidden yet so apparent, to the nickname that I will never abandon. - Names - an Echo of Love. Taking God's Name in Vain.
Theophoric names - names that contain the word God or names of gods. Is calling God by incorporating his name in names considered "calling his name in vain"?
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My name is Svetlana. I never really liked my name, especially when I was a child. I mean when I was seven to twelve. Why? Beats me now.
Related Materials
- Zara - Whats in a (Norwegian) Name?
Ive also encountered Norwegian first names that will provide some giggles for English-speakers: Even, Odd, Simen (pronounced like, erm, seamen Aase, Snorre, Dag, Wenche, Roar, Knut and Jrund (pronounced a little like urine). - How To Choose A Name
The Baby Naming Experience - The Perfect Baby Name
The Perfect Baby Name explains how to break down the sound and rhythm of your surname and match it to a complimentary first name. - Meaning of Names - Funny Baby and Adult
Meaning of names are outlined in a funny fashion for boys, girls, boyfriends and girlfriends who need cute nicknames plus the parody of etymology. - real meanings of names
Don't Kill me-- I am but a humble messenger. This is from an email posted to a bulletin board I found. It's kind of funny. -- It is only good as a joke. A sense of humour is a MUST.
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Thank you, Mckbirdbks! It is a very high praise. Maybe you are right to the point - I am not quite at home anywhere in particular, but I am at home everywhere - I think people are essentially the same. Maybe because I live in the city where everyone is from somewhere else.
Just recently I happen to overhear "Russians are crazy, those crazy Russians, Russians are crazy"... and I said "It is so good to know".
But in fact, what those 20 - 25 year-olds even know about Russians? A generalization upon a generalization without a shadow of awareness.
I identify with Russians and I don't, I am Canadian, but not enough, I feel like a citizen of the world even though I don't travel. The world comes to where I live. It comes to Toronto.
"A heinous crime is not choosing a bad name (a name that some other people might dislike), a heinous crime is illiteracy. I choose literacy versus illiteracy. I am literal. Names do not stink. People do. Among other things…" I totally agree with your comments on that silly statement.
mckbirdbks is so right. Your research and your understanding of your subject is staggering. I like all your little parenthetical observations. They bring an intimacy and a humour into your writing, but as you have implied: A rose by any other name would smell as sweet; even if that name were Simon, or even Simone.
Ian, I was wondering ... as usual ... what if we understood our names on a daily basis?
"Hear, hear, hear, hear, listen, listen, listen intently..."
One of the names that was brought to my attention was Lucifer - The Light Carrier. You know what happened to him. But there are a lot of names that have the word "luc.." or "light" in them. It is a concept, very popular at that. Light is precious.
When I need to get my ideas to one center (hub), I'd love to engage centripetal force, but I am always fighting centrifugal force - ideas run away from me.
I know it is irrelevant to your hub, or is it? My mother's name was Ann, a lovely name, in my opinion. Yet as a child she was always called Annie, which she hated. So when she named me, she chose a name that can not be messed around with, One cannot do anything with Ian. There is no diminutive; it can't be lengthened, by adding y or ie or i. It's just a simple Ian. Only three letters, but two syllables (there aren't many words like that). It is the same as John, Giovanni, Johann, Sean, Jean etc... and means "Gift of God".
Being a citizen of the world is a goal we all strive for. Sometimes I envy those that grew up in one spot, went to school through one system, but other times I wonder if they missed the adventure of many homes in many places. I am one who is also comfortable where I am, everywhere I am. As for 20-25 year olds, they have yet to learn how to speak without generalizations. Generalizations make it easier not to be questioned. Today you have spoken of Greece and Italy, Russia and Canada. Your heart travels even if your feet are momentarily stuck in one place. All roads lead to Toronto, catchy.
Ian, it is quite relevant to my writing - not to this hub, but to the next one. I wrote some material on the names that include more than one word. Those names are being rejected the most. Theodore was mentioned in this hub, it also means "Gift from God" - only in Greek.
Greeks still speak Greek,so how does it sound -- "Gift of God" has gone to buy beer? "Gift of God" is a pain in a b.? I am not mocking the concept - I need to think before I can get my ideas together and connect them in a hub - otherwise it is not a hub but a centrifuge.
Theodore (Fyodor) - Dostoevsky, Tyutchev - squeaky mice.
But somebody is not aware ... maybe it requires a different level of education. By the way Ariel in "The Little Mermaid" - Ariel is a male's name - "Lion of God". How becoming!
I am drowning in this subject and that was one of the reasons I said that people didn't think. There is nothing easier than to say "it's a heinous crime", name a few names and there you go - a hub is done - you are A WRITER!"
I understand when people dislike their names or diminutives. Even without changing a name, everyone is entitled to choose the form of how to be addressed regardless whether he is a child or adult.
There are diminutives of Svetlana that I cannot stand. Daniel does not let anyone call him Dan or Danny. But in Russian, he accepts our liberties.
My grandfather changed his first name. I do understand.
And sometimes the obvious is not so obvious at all. Armando - I did not see the connection.
For a very long time I saw your name "Ian" and I did not connect it to the reduced (!) Russian form - Yan - "ya" is a vowel, so it makes the name - a one syllable name.
@Mike:
I have grown in one place, went to one school and I thought I did all the things I should have done and yet found myself God knows where. I was fourteen, when perestroyka began and before we could FEEL any changes, there was an influx of information that everything we learned before - was not true.
Even when I was a child I could never believe in Lenin phenomenon - he was a Genialissimo in a sense - a super human. There was a statue of Lenin in our school (causing some inconveniences) and it was called a Lenin's museum, only he was surrounded with tropical plants. We called him "Lenin in the Jungle". Lenin never visited jungles. We were young cynics.
I did not believe in super humans, it "sim-ed" unnatural, as unnatural as Saints in Christianity.
I don't know why I am the way I am - maybe it is too late to figure out - I try to answer questions as they arise and I try to write being true to myself. The way I speak, think, and live is the way I write.
I got to change my name again, about thirteen years ago. I think I shall send you an e-mail on that one... unless you had already guessed. You are a very perceptive lady.
I'm still waiting for my friends to arrive so that they can taker me to lunch.
Than you, I had fun reading your hub. Always interesting to hear different opinions and sometimes we just have to ventilate (don't we?), doesn't matter centripetal or centrifugal way.
As for the centerpiece, a Simon-name, I will tell that I do like it, especially its Hebrew version- Shimon. Shimon was a son of Jacob and Leah. Leah considered that God "heard" that she was not really favored by Jacob and gave her a son as a reward, so she named the boy Shimon. It is a very popular name in Israel.
Since I left Soviet Union 20 years ago, I got somewhat disconnected from its culture (not a real regret, I have to confess, at least no regret as the modern culture goes), but I get from time to time links to some "masterpieces" that I can't make head or tail of. I don't know Voinovich books, but I came across some of Pelevin's writings and to my literature taste he is just an artificial crap (sorry if I offend your taste by this).
Anyway, thank you for letting me know about this hub and I'll be waiting for others to come.
Interesting hub. I think parents unnecessarily burden their children with ridiculous names, thereby insuring ass kickings during their formative years in school. I've never met a well adjusted boy named Cosmo, or a happy girl named Jeremy ( I work with a woman named Jeremy, very hateful).
My mother named me Augustine after her favorite singer, and my middle name Abundio from her father. When I was growing up I was called Augie and Gus, which I hated, until my high school days. Everyone always reminded me that Gus was a field goal kicking donkey in a Disney movie, and a fat mouse in the Cinderella cartoon.
As I got older, everyone began addressing me as Augustine, as I refused to answer Gus and Augie. The only problem I have now is my signature, writing it all out can give you carpel tunnel syndrome. I'm ok with it though. Thank you for sharing.
@ReuVera:
Thank you for reading and leaving a comment, Vera. As I have said, I am not against names, but as everyone else I have my preferences. When I was younger, I used to think the same thing: "Stupid! Stupid Name!"
I used to dislike the name "Kolya", but I ended up marrying Nikolai. I like the name now, however we are divorced now. It does not really matter. I have learned a lot along the way about names, so my current views are quite different from those of my younger years.
I don't know your literary tastes, if you dislike Pelevin - fine - he is my favourite writer and nobody's opinion will sway me in my admiration. He influenced me a lot. I wish I could write like him.
The protagonist in one of his novels called Earl T. (the novel is called "T") and one of my friends calls himself T (no connection), but now I am joking all the time that the novel is about my friend.
Pelevin and Voinovich are quite different. I love both for their keen sense of humour. I can't read every author either no matter how famous or accepted by others. I read Tatyana Tolstaya's "Kys" and I hated it. My mother keeps reading it over and over. By the way, I don't remember much from "Chto Delat?" (What is to be done?") by Chernyshevsky and you would think who in his right mind would read it now, yet I came across literary analysis and now I am curious ... Dreams of Vera Pavlovna... (speaking of Veras...)
I think I have said somewhere that the reason I picked "Simon" as the core for my hub was Sim Simych Karnavalov - it so happened that I found this connection useful. By the way - it is believed that the prototype for Karnavalov was Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. I am not too eager to read him. Not my favourite. Famous? You bet.
Thank you again. I appreciate your feedback.
All the best and good luck with your writing,
@ A.A.Zavala:
I love name Augustine. I have a friend with the same name (different version) whom I like very much and I am afraid I am impartial to both, the person and the name.
It is my decision how to be addressed - it is my name, after all. "Can I call you Lana?" - "No, please don't".
I agree that it is hard to withstand people's reactions especially in childhood. But there is no criteria for "stupidity". The same way there is no criteria for "beauty" - people are obsessed with reaching some ideals, but who establishes those ideals?
Some names are rejected for no good reason, some names are accepted, yet nobody sees that they can be seen as fairly ... questionable.
My son Daniel has been told "You are not a Christian". Damn right, he is not. He is not Christian, he is Daniel. The name Barbara - barbaric. If I start looking for connections and associations and I do and I will - every name will be denounced as stupid. That is another point I am trying to make.
Those who said that Daniel was not Christian had no idea what name Daniel actually meant - "My Judge is God". Religious discussion is closed - God is the Judge and not people.
I am exaggerating, of course, but it is the way I write. I write a story and I entertain ideas, I don't denounce names. If somebody wants to go by name Ariel, for example, ... do you know what Ariel means? Speaking of animated films?
Thank you so much for your feedback, Augustine (it sounds lovely, very melodious).
Please come again, I will be writing more on names. Not to convince anyone in anything, just to entertain.
Thank you for the compliment. I find your your name to be unique as well. How do you prefer to be called? I am familiar with the name Arial and remember it from the the animated movie "The Little Mermaid". If I'm not mistaken, it means living in the air.
I have a fondness for Russian names. In my past I had a relationship with a woman named Natalia, and I thought her name was beautiful. I like Dasha or Anya as well. For a man Sergei is a unique name, if pronounced correctly has a unique sound also. Daniel, your sons name, sounds regal. I'm familiar with the biblical character, just wonder why you chose that name. Please share.
Thank you, Augustine. Daniel's name story is rather a convoluted one and I wrote only one half. Maybe one third.
There are two hubs that I should finish - but the problem is that there are more ideas than I can fit into them and that means I have to make a choice. Names that mean "Light", "Names define personality", "Oddities" and "Naming and calling names". Makes four already, add to it "What a beautiful Russian name!", "Associations" and it becomes too much.
I haven't even yet decided what is next, "A long echo from Greece" probably. And there are another two hubs waiting, three, four... If I could do nothing but write, I would be the happiest person on earth. Because I do love to write and to dance.
I hope all of them will be entertaining.
As far as Ariel goes - it is a male name meaning "Lion of God" (of Jewish origin). Often times, the animated films' personages have strange names. What, nobody is checking? A woman Jeremy? She could have changed her name.
Daniel told me a year ago (now he is seven and a half) that he wanted the name that I chosen for him. That was very sweet except for the fact that he could not remember it for the life of his. And I said, you can do whatever you want when you are of age - I will not be offended. Your name is yours only and I am going to accept your choice whatever it is.
Thank you for the compliment, but I am afraid my name is common in Russia. All names that you mentioned are common, most of them are not Russian, though. There are some names we like, we love, we dislike, we hate, but I do understand the desire to try something new and go for a deeper meaning that a beautiful phonetic combination.
I noticed you know some Russian expressions. Do you know a little bit of Russian?
Dobroye utro!
I have learned some Russian, but mainly phrases and sayings. I hope to learn more. Although the names I mentioned are common, they still sound more unique than Mike or Susan. I lived overseas for most of my youth, and have always been fascinated by Europe and Russia. This is an interesting subject, and I like my name now. I feel sorry for some cultures whose names have terrible meanings in Western culture. For instance, Dung means "warrior" in Vietnamese, but means excrement here. How terrible is that!
Augustine, there is nothing terrible. Phonetic combinations are finite. That is the first problem that a person encounters learning a foreign language - unpleasant phonetic combinations, associations and breaking associations. ReuVera wrote an article on names that sound "funny/terrible" in English.
After reading that article and finding MY name there (My name!!!), I was not so pleased, then I thought a lot about it and maybe even my series on names was a direct result of that article.
The first word in English that I had trouble with was "three". Because in Russian it means "defecate" in a very rude form, by the way. But you cannot throw a word like that from the language - what do you do? - you break the association eventually - your brain stops bringing you the images - now those words are unrelated to me. I don't know how it works - it is like a switch - English - no associations with Russian - I don't translate in my head - it is a constant stream of consciousness in one language only - or in other - but not flipping back and forth.
Only recently (after so many years! I noticed that "look" is the same phonetic combination as "look" in Russian meaning "onion" - I had to be completely blind - yet that is how it is stored in the brain, the word, the meaning, the context - noticing phonetic equivalents - maybe ... but not always.)
In German? Herr Schmidt. Mister Schmidt. "Her" combination is common as in "Hertz" - heart. In Russian? Her? Dick. You cannot keep those associations, otherwise you will always be surrounded by mostly unpleasant images.
I did not want to give my son any names ending with "slav" because it reminded me too of "a slave", but in Russian "slava" means "glory". I never looked up, though, why Slavic languages are called Slavic, maybe it is time to do so.
Now I should probably decide on what next.
Thank you, Augustine for leaving a comment and good luck with your writing.
I have a friend who is part Jewish and his name is Simon. He lives here, would you like to meet him (lol)? Actually he is also part German, Chinese, and one or two other things ... I speak French with him - in French the name sounds different. Actually you might dislike it even more lol
All small nonsense if you ask me but that's just an opinion. Stay happy. Cheers!
@ Mr. Happy:
Simon is not my favourite name, I admit, but I am entitled to my preferences. It does not mean that I dislike people with that name - names are names, people are people. I disliked my own name for a long time. I did not like the name Nikolai and I married Nikolai.
I stopped using LOL to indicate whether I am joking or not, I have read that it is a bad habit for a writer. I should be able to convey my mood and opinion effectively without crutches. Maybe I haven't mastered the skill yet. I was not writing my article against the name Simon, but some people took it this way. Next time I will try to be more clear.
Speaking of being Clear. Claire. When I was studying French in Russia, my teacher never called me Svetlana. As you know the melody and rhythm in French depends on the emphasis and it falls on the last syllable. Svetla'na sounded too awkward and I was renamed into Claire. I did not like those liberties with my name, but I was young and I did not defend it. It was one of the many instances that pushed me to think into the direction "What is in a name?"
I remember joking with my friend and saying that I might change my name into Aufklaurung. How is that for awkward? But it has its meaning, though it is not a name, it is a German word (I think for explanation).
I checked the online dictionary for "explanation" -
die Erklärung
die Deutung
die Rechenschaft
Choose one.
I can meet you & your friend and I can even say something in French or in German if you give me enough time to practice. I have some useful expressions like "I am not going to swim across La Manche".
It is those things that stay. My French speaking friend who lived twenty years in Paris said that as far as pronunciation goes - it's nearly perfect. Perfecto!
Quite an insightful piece Svetlana, but I would expect nothing less from you!(LOL) I always wondered about why parents name their children the way they do, is any thought given to the reality of the taunting and teasing the child will live with, especially as a teenager. Or, as you point out...the meaning of the name? Let's face it, kids are relentless. Maybe the parents will instill an ego of steel in their toddler so while "sticks and stones may break your bones, names will never hurt you"?
As much as I may not like it, I do shape-shift myself, just like the English language. Here's something on lol: http://hubpages.com/hub/From-LOL-to-BRT
Perhaps it is time to go back to hieroglyphs ..
I shall remember your preference though and will continue free of abbreviations.
I certainly did not think you wrote your article as an attack on the name Simon. I was joking around.
Cheers,
I
@Chatkath:
Thank you for your comment, Kathy. You see, I am so stuck on those bloody names - it is a quagmire. I am as guilty as charged - I wanted an unusual name for my son. It was nothing insane (an OLD Russian name), yet I am sure neither English-speaking community, nor Russian-speaking community would have understood me. But that story is coming, I don't want to ruin a surprise.
Parents put a lot of thought in naming their children for the moment when at least the first child is born cannot be compared with anything that happened in their lives before.
When my son was six and he was on the stage for the first time - I did not see his performance - for I was weeping. You'd say - it is insane - I think it is something with internal wiring - no reason can explain feelings of parents. It is the strongest of loves.
But relentless teasing? Yes, and the author (the teacher) of the article proves it - if an adult can say that the name stinks and be dead sure about it.
However, people still go for unusual names. It might be easier to get away with new names here in Toronto, where too many cultures live so closely and influence each other.
There is a little girl that I know "Aria". Aria? Well, fine by me. But I wanted my son to have a different name...
Unfortunately, even having a common name did not protect him from being tormented at school. He is called stupid, an idiot, big mouth ...
Why? He is late with speech, it is difficult for him to tackle two languages and, being a boy, he is not so good with verbalizing ... I am not happy, but what can I do.
As for the names - I am writing - but I keep starting new versions - it goes in 360 directions... What a nightmare... And one article was flagged by HP either for adult content or I don't know what.
@Mr. Happy, you see, this time I did not get your joke. I was told recently that I joke so much that it was nearly impossible to tell when I joke and when I am serious.
I do try to improve my writing style - I am not saying that everybody should follow my rules. Besides, Mr. Happy, I am too stuck today and unhappy. I think, my sense of humour is taking a break.
No worries. I don't pretend to always be able to express myself as well as I would like thus, I often do invite misunderstandings.
I am not sure why you are unhappy but "Happiness is over-rated" says the title of Angelo Beliotti's book. Perhaps, if you have the time you can give it a read.
All the best, Amiga.
http://hubpages.com/hub/Smile-While-You-Bleeding - do listen to that song.
Yes, I have noted it on my list "Books to Read" back in January. The list is, though, slightly too long... One day...
Hasta luego.
Actually, for me, this is a fun hub to read. Whether I agree with some of your views or not, it doesn't matter one twit - as I read each and every comment, I enjoyed the array of responses. Yes, I do believe I am on my way to becoming a big fan of yours. I am eager to read more of your writing. You really are quite brilliant! vocalcoach
Thank you, Vocal Coach, for your comment. You don't have to agree with my views, my views have changed over time as well. I might even disagree with myself after I have written an article, but I find it necessary to express my point of view at the moment for it to become "the past", to turn "a stumbling block into a stepping stone."
The more I live and if I am lucky (or unlucky?), I am somewhere at midpoint of my life, the more my views change.
I love writing, I love sounds, I love words and I love the musicality of language and meanings. The interconnected echo of everything...
I bring things together that seem to be unrelated ... but everything is related in our brains, every bit and piece is stored in association. A smell, long forgotten, may bring such a stream of associations that you would never believe.
I had to struggle with my own name, how to make it more pronounceable for English speakers ... only to find that the problem was long ago solved.
"vet" and "viet" is essentially the same combination in Russian. So the word "Soviet" that nobody can forget is practically the same as the word "svet"/"sviet".
The conversation (yesterday) with a dancing partner:
- Forgive me, but I don't remember your name.
- It is OK, I keep forgetting it myself.
- [you should have seen his face]
- ...
- Really??? I keep forgetting my phone number...
- Ok, I was joking, of course, my name is Svetlana.
- What? Sfdkjdj...
- Can you say "soviet"?
- Yes.
- It is the same, just drop the "o" - Svietlana.
- Sovietlana?
- Drop the "o".
- Svietlana?
- Yes.
- Now I will never be able to forget it.
I will spare the conversation how we discussed the possibility of going to Montreal and I was refusing to share hotel with six strange guys.
[But you can switch... Whom? I am not switching any guys... I simply cannot resist...]
It was all word play - it was hilarious - I was even contemplating writing a little story based on word play and that conversation.
I just feel too down now to write - maybe that was the original appeal in your story - when you are depressed you never know who will be able to make a tremendous difference in your life, which word will echo and how...
Sometimes music is my only consolation...
...well I cannot 'pontificate' here .. because the amazing Miss S will smell the BS a mile away ....so let's just cut to the chase .....Miss S, no one puts a hub together like you - each hub you do is like a work of art waiting to be framed or perhaps just let loose in performance art - but either way - you matter and you matter very much to me - and so many others here at Hubland because you take us on a journey through time and space and that fabulous fabulous mind of yours!!!!
(that wasn't a typo - lol - that's two 'fabulous' - I'd give you three but some people might get jealous here.)
Oh, Colin, you are too kind - but now I have some people who read what I write.
I asked my friend, whether he dates anyone - I was too tired to formulate a question well - it was more "a mmm ..." (what do you want from me after the night of dancing?) and he helped me out "Do I see any Armandas?"
It was hilariuos! I love those common references - my universe is taking shape step by step.
After this article I tried to write and I have a few drafts, but I was unable to finish anything, and now the inspiration struck again - I wish I had time to drop everything and write.
Thank you for reading. I don't want to be fabulous - I want to be me.
....well you certainly .... are you!!!! And I love it!
Wow! What a great hub! My grandchildren have semi unusual names I think not weird..I have Xavier, Sadira, Isabella, and Maryanna.. I begged the children to be gentle as I agree, their names they will have the rest of their lives and other children can be cruel..Thanks for a great hub.
Sunnie
Thank you, Sunnie Day! The name Simon is neither weird nor unusual. And you will never be able to please everybody.
If we will depend on opinions of others we all have to be Johns and Marias.
I have a few articles waiting to be written (some drafts, some my ideas I had for such a long time still stewing in the pot of my head), but I lack enthusiasm at the moment to write them down.
I want people to start thinking differently about names, but it is difficult, people prefer to conform, people are conservative and people refuse to think for themselves.
Therefore, I am often left "to enjoy my solitude" - which is fine - as I say - my name means Light and I will keep enlighten as long as I live - I am afraid I have no other choice. Even if I change my name or abdicate from any names altogether - the damage is done - it is my personality trait to look at things differently.
So true...I like the name Simon..your name is very unique and pretty too...Looking at things differently is a gift..not many can do that..to me it shows one to be creative..
mckbirdbks Level 8 Commenter 13 months ago
Svetlana, you have such a vast reach to your thinking. You skip continents, like a school girl skips hopscotch. Few know the realms where you wander. Your thinking is revolutionary, contemporary - anything but ordinary. You write as if your soul has been torn out by the roots and now tumbles freely, exploring, searching, screaming for possibilities. I hold up a meager candle, but the light does not penetrate the fathoms.
There is both a keen edge to your writing and a sedate humor.