128 replies to this topic

[America-Hye]

My father changed his name to escape. The burden for him was too great. Every Armenian knew who his grandfather and granfather's brother were. His Dad had the springboard of connections to become a diplomat. My father working, as a hammal in Paris, had only the sweat of his brow.

[Davo0074_NL]

First of all, everyone who has a IAN or YAN last name should be very very proud of that. Though others who don`t, let them take an example on sheakspare-->WHAT`S IN A NAME!

Ofcourse the Armenians were always tortured and so on so that was one of the reasons that they`ve changed their names. But not all armenian names end with IAN, there are many real Armenian names without IAN like RUSHTUNI for example.

But personaly I like it a lot that I can recognize armenians by there first or last name.

DAVO

[Armo77]

My last name ends in -OV...I'm Armenian but a lot of people think I'm russian because of the -ov ending..My dad explained to me that back in the day when my grandpa lived in Russia they made him change his last name to russian.

Then your last name is Russian.. Plain and simple.. No confusion about it..

All Modern day Armenian last names end with "IAN" or "YAN". If they are not:
a) The "IAN" Was chopped off (like Charles Aznovar)
B ) The last name was changed to one more ethnically suitable to the SpiurkaHye living in a non Armenian country or it was a forced change.

Not really that hard to understand. Mine ends with "IAN" both on my mother's and father's side and I am Barskahye.

Edited by Armo77, 05 January 2004 - 10:20 AM.

[Harut]

All Modern day Armenian last names end with "IAN" or "YAN". If they are not:
a) The "IAN" Was chopped off (like Charles Aznovar)
B ) The last name was changed to one more ethnically suitable to the SpiurkaHye living in a non Armenian country or it was a forced change.

c) your last name ends on some other armenian ending: tsi/etsi/atsi, uni, unts, iants, etc...
d) your last name's ending has been changed to something else (ex., akopov)
e) you have more creative unique lastname
f) etc...

[gurgen]

c) your last name ends on some other armenian ending: tsi/etsi/atsi, uni, unts, iants, etc...

I never knew there were other Armenian endings

[Armo77]

I never knew there were other Armenian endings

They used to be.. But that was LONG LONG AGO... Not even sure exactly how long ago. but 95% of MODERN armenian last names are either "ian" or "yan". Its a good way to identify eachother beings we all look so different and unique.

[sev-mard]

Way to be knowledgable man, I dig that.

At least ya'll got names, tell me where you find the name Jennings in ancient Afro-Carribean family trees.

[Hye_Acher]

I never knew there were other Armenian endings

Mashtots, Sevak, Bekunts, Varujan, Hayants, Shiraz, Nova, Khorenatsi and etc… just few examples of Armenian last names that do not have IAN/YAN… my last name also ends with IAN…

No offence……. but some people as mentioned when there grandparents or who ever changed their last name years ago………. have no excuse in this day and age continue having the “changed” last name… that’s my personal view….

Good Day!!!

[Stormig]

Bones I too find that funny and strange.

I was at a wedding about 6 months ago and one of the guests had brought a baby and one of the elder ladies inside the church said "MashAlah lave metatsela".  And if I am not mistaken Mashalat is turkish for "something Allah".  It just struck me really weird that they would praise allah in armenian church.

Ma'asha'allah is supposed to mean "as Allah willed" in Arabic (not Turkish) and is said when one is wishing well-being, fortune, prosperity, etc., on someone, more like wishing them safety from evil, I think. Also, Arab Christians call God, Allah, because grammatically it means The God ("al ilah") and is not a proper noun. Something I learned altogether recently!

Edited by Stormig, 06 January 2004 - 01:48 PM.

[Stormig]

Mashallah is Arabic, "ma sha' Allah". It literraly mean "Astvats mi arastse", "God forbid". It is used in a partial context to mean "God forbid that something bad to happen".
As to using Allah in a Christian church, go to Armenian church in Istanbul and see what word they use to describe Astvats in their sermons delivered in the Turkish language, or a Christian church where the language is Arabic. Allah is a common noun now whereas before Islam it was yhe proper name of a specific deity just as Astvas used to be yhe proper name of an Armenian (main)god and now it is a common noun to mean God, anybody's God be it Christian Moslem or other.

Oops, sorry, I hadn't seen this.

[Stormig]

Hmmmmm, I can't decide which transliteration of the word is correct - ma'asha'allah (that's what it sounds in that one song with the Arab lady and the Spanish guy) or maashaa'allah?

[Stormig]

Exactly.
Ironically the two phrases are antitheses of sach other, they are both based on the middle syllable "sha'", to will.
Whereas insha'Allah means God willing, the other, in a twisted way means "may God not will" (that something bad happen), with the negative "ma" priefix it is almost like rubbing ones' vorik when a compliment is given so as to propect from evil eye. In other words when one says "mashallah inch siroun erekha e" , it actually means "God forbid" that something bad happens to this beautiful baby.

I thought the negating prefix was na-.

[Armine3773]

Some Armenians look at my last name and know that I'm Armenian. The people that do have my last name are all Armenians that also changed their last name. It's not a Russian last name. When I go to college, I'll probably end up changing it to my real last name with the -IAN ending.

Edited by Armine3773, 24 January 2004 - 01:07 PM.

[Dan]

I have 2 last names (the joys of having stubborn parents ahhh) on my passport, with a dash between them... The Armenian one ends with -ian, but a lot of people who don't know that surnames ending in -ian are Armenian ask me what kind of surname that is -- some have even asked if it was German sheesh lol... well, maybe that's because it's basically very close to a Western/European/English first name.. once I was going around during orientation week at university with a name tag and someone at one of the booths asked me if I was Slovak cos he thought that my half last name kinda resembled a Slovak name lol.. and then there are other people who just pick up the significance of the -ian right away and ask me if i'm Armenian. those are the ones who mainly have known Armenians before..

[Maral]

There are a lot of Persian Jews who have added ian or yan(usually yan) to their last names so they looked more respectable in the rug industry.
Because way back then Armenians were respected rug dealers/business men.

[Dan]

Persian Jews? or Jewish Persians?

Actually, there are a lot of Persians (non-Jewish) who have last names ending with -ian and -yan (e.g.: Yazdanian)..

[Maral]

does it really matter if it's Persian Jews or Jewish Persians???

[Dan]

Well, technically yes, it does. There is a difference between race and religion. But not in this thread - it doesn't matter. Was just wondering whether you were referring to race or religion.

[Maral]

Well darn it,you have me all confused now!
(btw,total joke,please don't try and explain it to me again! )

Did you completely overlook the part about they wanting to be confused for respectable Armenian rug dealers???Jeeeeeeeeeeeeshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[Dan]

Did you completely overlook the part about they wanting to be confused for respectable Armenian rug dealers???

no, I didn't miss that part.. but I don't see what your point is..? I mean, I do understand why you mentioned it in the first place, but in your last post, I don't see how that's relevant to being persian jews or jewish persians...

Anyhoooooow...