The meaning of names among Mediterranean Jews
Marc Eliany
©
AZHAR
ZOHRA
among other possible variations depending on the country and language of the person.
Azhar is represented here by a Spanish poet from Moorish Spain. It is an Arab name, not common in North Africa but known in the Middle East. It means 'luck' in North African Arabic. The name is preceded by the prefix 'a' denotes family affiliation or a characteristic of a person, i.e., the lucky one. The name 'Zohra' derived from the same root, is used as a female first name in Arab countries. It is not known as a family name.
The root of the name 'zhr' has a meaning in Hebrew: 'shining' or 'brilliant.' The names: 'Zohar' and 'Zoher' are modern Hebrew version used in contemporary Israel.
Prefixes attached
to the root name such as (aben, iben, abi, avi, am, ben, bin, abou, a,
aj, al, bel, ha, 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'
Suffixws such as 'oun' 'on' 'yout' 'out' characterize adjectives in Hebrew,
for example: Hayoun, hayout...
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)