ANTHROPONYMS AND PATRONYMS OF THE GEORGIANS IN DÜZCE REGION (Turkey)

Abstract

In our article we review the anthroponyms and patronyms of the Georgians living in Düzce region. The most part of Muhajir Georgians’ Düzce descendants have preserved the Georgian ethnical self-concept. The Georgian Muhajirs were Sunni Muslims and, respectively, they had Arabic and Ottoman names, although their surnames were Georgian – either original (the names they had before becoming part of Ottoman culture), or the Georgia names modified in the Ottoman manner.

It is worth noting that in the Ottoman Empire people did not have surnames, but peoples of non-Turkish origin (Georgians, Albanians, Bosnians etc.) had the so-called nick-surnames formed from patronymics or names of ancestors who had first converted to Islam. Quite often, non-Turkish peoples, especially noblemen, used eponyms of their former surnames as roots for new ottoman nick-surnames.

Today the Düzce Georgians, like the rest of the Turkish population, have Turkish names and surnames, which became mandatory under the Soyadı Kanunu passed by Atatürk in 1934. According to our materials, the anthroponyms (private names) of Muhajirs’ descendants are still Turkish and Arabic (Muslim), while the personal nicknames (laγabebi) are mostly Georgian. It is worth noting that when introducing themselves some Georgians gave us their Georgian first names and old Georgian surnames (although in their passports we found different names).

In the article, all the Illustrative phrases in Georgian are transcribed with specific Latin based transcription for Ibero-Caucasian Languages.

Key-words: Georgians, Anthroponyms, Patronyms, Georgia, Turkey;