Message
Oh, very elucidative your explanation. In fact
Catharina is a common Catholic name, after Saint Catharina, a kind of "warrior"
woman, whose atributes could have been copied from Athena (Martin Bernal link
her to Athena/Neith).
In West Europe the usual form is CAT(H)ARINA, not
ECAT(H)ERINA. May Ecatherina be a Russian inovation?
Since I began to research my genealogy, I use
to see microfilms from church records from XVII and XVII centuries. In 1583-1612
period, Catarina was the second more usual name in Portugal, after Maria
(Mary).
1. MARIA 33% (< Mariam)
2. CATARINA 11% (<Catharina)
3. ISABEL 8% (<Eisabel <Elisabel
<Elisabeth, Mary´s sister)
4. BARBARA 6% (<Latin Barbara)
5. ANA 5% (<Anna, Mary's mother)
6. BEATRIZ (older Beatrix, Breatiz, Breitiz,
Britiz, Brites) 4%
7. FRANCISCA 3%
8. AGUEDA (also AGADA) 3% (<Agatha) (Agada and
Agueda are obsolete, modern use is Agata, a restaurated erudict
form)
I'm interested in understanding the causes of
popularity of some given names. In past centuries Portugal names are mainly
Catholic names of saints, but nowadays there are great difference between
Brazilian and Portuguese names. Portugal is more conservative and preserve
traditional names, while in Brazil there's a massive influence of American
names. So, nowadays it's very common in Brazil (specially among the most
poor) names like "Washington", "Rooseveldt" or "Lincoln".Not necessarily
correctly written, there's a politician called "Uoston" (Portugues-ized
Washington), and after Michael Jackson there's a great number of children named
Michael (or Maicol, Maicon).
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, November 22, 2001 11:33
AM
Subject: RE: [tied] Catharina.Catherina
etymology - Katharos or Aikaterine - Slav
Russian form is YEKATERINA. Does it mean
that Byzantine has AI-KATERINA , with no TH? For KATHERINA we d expect
KAFERINA. Is there such name?
IFAIK
the name hasn't been used in Russian till Peter the First time. It
seemes there has been no Orthodox saint bearing this name.
<Jekaterina> was adapted from German as the official name of the
second Peter's wife, whose past is rather murky (some authors call
her 'a camp-follower from the Baltic region').
Sergei