The meaning of names among Mediterranean Jews
Marc Eliany
©
AMZALLAG
among other possible variations depending on the country and language of the
person.
The
root of the name 'zallag' may have an Arabic/Berber meaning, refering to an
occupation as necklace or string/rope maker. The
origin of the name is in all liklihood Berber and may refer to an affilation
with the tribe Ait Zallag. The name is known in
Morocco, Spain and Portugal.
Prefixes
attached to the root name such as (aben, iben, abi, avi, am, ben, bin,
abou, a, aj, al, bel, i, la, lel, me, m, o, wi, vi, ) denotes usually a relation
to a person, i.e., the father of or the son of X, a place, i.e., a person
from X, an occupation, i.e., a person who practices a specific occupation, a
characteristic of a person, i.e., beautiful... The prefixes al, el are equivalent
to 'the' in English or the article 'le' in French. In the Moroccan Berbers tradition,
prefixes such as 'wi' 'vi' 'i' means usually a family relationship to X, the
equivalent of Abu in Arabic, i.e., 'the father of', 'son of' a man, a tribal
affiliation and so forth.In
the Hebrew tradition, the prefix ‘M ‘ is an abbreviation of
the word 'from.'
Suffixes such as 'illo' 'ano' 'ino'
AMZALAK
Haïm (1824-1916). Gibraltar. Merchant Banker in Jaffa. Assisted pioneers to
settle in Egypt during WWI.
AMZALAK
Mosés (1892-1978). Portugal (Lisbonne). Historian. Economist. Philosopher. Professeur
at Lisbon university. Led a Marrano congregation back to Judaism. Labored to
save Jews from Nazi persecution.
AMZALLAG Abraham
(1939-). Morocco. (Casablanca).
Music professor at Beér Chèva university in Israel. Spécialist in Moroccan musique.
Orchestra leader.
References:
Azoulay, Hayim Yossef Shem Hagdolim (the names of the great)
AZOULAY Haïm Yossef David (Hida) (1724-1807) Chém haguédolim va’ad lahakhamim (The names of the Great Council of Sages).
Levi, J et. al. 2000 Dictionnaire biographique du monde Juif Sepharade et Mediteranean, Editions Elysee, Montreal.
Toledano, J. 1983 La saga des familles, Les juifs du Maroc et leurs noms, Editions Stavit, Tel Aviv
Laredo A. 1978 Les noms des juifs au Maroc (Madrid, 1978)