Arabic-L:LING:Safire needs help with Arabic Names

[Dilworth Parkinson]

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Arabic-L: Fri 02 May 2003
Moderator: Dilworth Parkinson <dilworth_parkinson at byu.edu>
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1) Subject:Safire needs help with Arabic Names

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1)
Date: 02 May 2003
From: Jim Rader <jrader at Merriam-Webster.com>
Subject:Safire needs help with Arabic Names

[moderator's note:  although you would need to respond to Kathleen
Miller, address below, I think a lot of subscribers to Arabic-L would
be interested in the response, so go ahead and copy them to Arabic-L as
well.--Dil]

This query from William Safire's research assistant was sent to the
American Name Society list.  I'm forwarding it to Arabic-L in the hopes
that someone can provide reliable information to Safire's office.  Some
totally uninformed comments on Arabic names have been appearing in
U.S. media.  Maybe list members can minimize it.  I don't really have
the qualifications.

Please reply directly to Kathleen Miller.

Jim Rader


From:           	"Kathleen E. Miller" <millerk at NYTIMES.COM>
Subject:        	Query, Arabic Naming Traditions
To:             	ANS-L at LISTSERV.BINGHAMTON.EDU

Mr. Safire is interested in the tradition of naming oneself Abu +
first born son's name.

Especially in the cases of Ahmed Qurie [Abu Ala], Mahmoud Abbas
[Abu
Mazen] and Yasser Arafat [Abu Amr]. Arafat doesn't have a son.  Khalil
al-Wazir's Abu Jihad was easy. But the closest I can come is Arafat is
calling himself "Father of the Administration," "order", "command?"

What do these men's "nicknames" translate as? Obviously it doesn't
have to be the first son's name you're adding "father of" to. I guess
it also wouldn't work with or need an honorific. Do you change your
name upon the birth of the first son, or, in the above cases when you
want to signify something?

And what is the etymology of Abu -- is it based in Aramaic Abba? Or is
it the other way around?

Best,


Kathleen E. Miller
Research Assistant to William Safire
The New York Times

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End of Arabic-L:  02 May 2003