Oriented on making people closer

Since ancient times, Turkmens believed in a special connection between the name of human and the forces of nature. Naming their children by heaven and earth, the ancients believed that their bearers would receive the patronage and protection of the celestial world. Of course, all national names are fraught with hidden meaning, they not only determine the character of a person, but also affect his fate.

Onomastics, as a linguistic science, pursues proper names available in each language. Exploring anthroponomical materials from all corners of Turkmenistan, it has been revealed 15 thousand Turkmen names. Naturally, this is not a finite list of all possible variations and word combinations forming names. Among the most ancient ones, the nicknames associated with natural elements, plants and animals are mainly distinguished.

For example, Oguzkhan, the progenitor of the Turkmen nation, gave his six sons names that were consonant with the world around them. Dag-khan represented the beauty of the mountains, Deniz-khan – the elements of the sea, and Gyok-khan – the power of trees. Accordingly, Gun-khan, Ai-khan and Yildiz-khan, translated into English as the Sun, Moon and Star, had a connection with the heavenly forces. Sulgun Toilieva, a resident of Ashgabat, told ORIENT about whether the historical trends of naming remain in modern life.

“We still have a belief that a child cannot be left without a name for a long time, because our ancestors claimed that the name is the aura of a person. Today, as soon as the baby is brought from the hospital, a Mullah (Muslim priest) is invited, the parents tell him the name chosen for the newborn, and the naming ceremony takes place. The Mullah takes the baby in his arms and whispers the names of mom and dad, whom he gets his own name from. But mostly, young parents listen to advices from family elders about a specific name for each child.

Long-awaited children are often called: Allaberdy or Hudaiberdy, which in both cases means “given by God”. According to established traditions, Turkmen families are waiting very much for the birth of the first male child, so if a girl is born first, she is named with a name that echoes the male basis – Oguljan (“sonnie”), Ogulgerek (“a son is required”), Oguldursun (“let a son be”), etc.

“There is some magical meaning in observance of the naming traditions, – continues Sulgun. – At the request of my mother-in-law, who suggested naming grandson after one of the heroes of the historical epos https://orient.tm/o-turkmenskom-epose-gerogly/ Gerogly, we named our firstborn Bezirgen. A revered and respectful name from the ancient destan affect the attitude of his friends and younger brothers to the boy. And this confirms the fact that the name plays an important role in the fate of a person.”

Another interesting feature is two-name nature of Turkmen names. Sometimes the names in official documents may not resemble those used to call a person in the family and in the circle of friends. And all because the ancestors believed that the malicious intent, which the real name is pronounced with, can cause serious harm to its owner. Hence, the names-amulets or protective nicknames have taken their origins.

The names Selbi and Chinar are associated with the legends of beautiful trees. In honor of beautiful flowers and gardens, as many years ago, today newborn girls are named – Gyzylgul (rose), Aigul (moon flower), Gulyalek (poppy). Under all their euphony and besides the literal translation, all names also have their own characteristics. For example, the owner of the name Gulyalek is a cheerful nature, focused on easy communication and activity in achieving her goals.

And no matter what name you have, remember that each of them has a unique code, unraveling it, you will be able to know your character and its features better.

Selbi CHARYEVA