origins of names

[moogey]

The name Barsoum is that of a Coptic saint. St. Barsoum El Erian(the naked) was born in Cairo in 1257AD and lived an ascetic life in the desert. He is credited with many miracles and has a monastery named after him in Helwan. He is recognized by other Orthodox churches including the Armenian Church hence the name Barsoumian.

 

I'm sure you can mention the origins of hundreds of names. It's a fascinating topic.

[Arpa]

The name Barsoum is that of a Coptic saint. St. Barsoum El Erian(the naked) was born in Cairo in 1257AD and lived an ascetic life in the desert. He is credited with many miracles and has a monastery named after him in Helwan. He is recognized by other Orthodox churches including the Armenian Church hence the name Barsoumian.

 

I'm sure you can mention the origins of hundreds of names. It's a fascinating topic.

This seems to be purely coincidental, or even a reverse borrowing from Armenian.

My first instinct was that “barsoum” was a turkified version of “bartsoum” from “hambartsoum/ascension”**, as some people like the furks , Arabs and Persians don’t have the sound of TS/Ց or DZ/Ծ change them to S and Z respectively. Like when a turkophile will say “sav@d tanem/սաւըդ տանեմ instead of tsav@d/ցաւըդ տանէմ tanem, զիրանի/zirani instead of ծիրանի/dzirani.

Upon further search I found what “barsoum/barsam” means . See under LANGUAGE.

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**An aside. The name “gambar/gambarov” seems to be quite common in assrboobjan. To me it is none other than “hambar/hambartsoum” , since there is no H in Russian it becomes G. “hambar-gambar”, just as “harry/haroutiun kasparov” becomes “garry”.

[Johannes]

Barsom Etymology: Persian برسم barsam, from Middle Persian برسم barsum, from Avestan بارسمان barsman. a bundle of sacred twigs or metal rods used by priests in Zoroastrian ceremonies. ^[46]

 

http://wapedia.mobi/en/List_of_English_words_of_Persian_origin

[Arpa]

Are we, me and Johannes the only ones here who know and, even care about the Armenian language and culture???

"barsoum" from Coptic?

How about Haik from the Japanese Haiku?

And Samurai.Shall we assume the Armenian surname "Samurian" is from the Japanese?

http://www.cellinifinegifts.com/toplandimages/topland_samurai1341.jpg

Edited August 22, 2010 by Arpa

[moogey]

Haiku, Maiku....It's all speculation.

 

I grant you, the name is more likely to be of Persian origin. What is needed is a date - how far does the name Barsoumian go back? Was St. Barsoum named because of the Persian word, or is it just one of those things? It's the speculation that is interesting, and the interconnectedness of languages, not the scoring of brownie points for the Armenian language. There is often a trace of borrowings, exchanges etc that reminds us that we are not isolated beings, cultures or nations.