Re: [tied] Albanian anthroponym GJIN

On 11/9/05, Piotr Gasiorowski <gpiotr@...> wrote:

Abdullah Konushevci wrote:

> If we accept Jen's etymology of Alb. <gjegj> `to hear, to answer'
> from PIE *sagi- `to seek out' as plausible, I found this name as
> substantivised adjective in –no, through rule VDV = V (D `voiced
> stop'). So, perform should be *sagi-no and should be related to Greek
> hegemon from Greek verb he:geisthai `to lead'. I believe that this
> name proves again that ruler was equated in antiquity with saint, as
> testifies the harbor's name Shën Gjini (Saint Gjin).

An interesting possibility, though, given the number of alternative
preforms that might or might not underlie <Gjin> it would be difficult
to prove if no related appellative has survived. What's wrong with the
traditional explanation of the name as a byform of <Gjon>?

Piotr

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First, <Gjin> as anthroponym is attested as in Tosk (orthodoxes), as well as in Geg (catholics). Furthermore, it is used as appellative in two place names Gjinokastra/Gjirokastra, so it underwent rhotacism and in harbor's name Shën Gjin.

Unlike <Gjin>, Gjon as a name is not known in Tosk dialect, even it is used, as fare as I know, also as appellative in village's name Gjonaj in Kosova and in Domgjonaj of Fani (Mirëdita province in Albania).

Second, as you may see from Gjin Bua Shpata, as well as from Lekë Duka•gjini, Maliq and Jashar Pashë Gjinolli, they was mostly rulers.

Third, I am not aware for other examples for the byforms Gjin of Gjon, as Durham, Çabej and Sh. Demiraj think.

Different story is with anthroponyms Pepa/Bepa and Pipa/Biba, where we have i-Umlaut or the chnage of unvoiced stops to voiced stops, both hypochoristics of Felipe (attested as such in "Meshari") with probably Slavic betacism.

 

Konushevci