The meaning of names among Mediterranean Jews

Marc Eliany ?

ABA ABBA
ABIAH ABIOB
ABBOU ABOU
Aboab (AviAv)

among other possible variations depending on the country and language of the person.

The name Aba varies depending on the country/language of the creators in this inventory.

Aba = Father in Hebrew. Abiah is the same name with the suffix ‘iah’ which associated the name with the blessing of God. AviAv is a modern Hebrew form of the same name. Abou is the Arabic version of the name Aba. Abou has different meanings in North African Berber. Abou = Abd Allah (God’s servant) in North African Berber. Spelled with ayn a’bou takes the meaning of vanity, one who is vain. Aboab is a Spanish/Portuguese transformation of the name Aba or Abou, it
means ‘the father of Ab’ or ‘the head of the family’ or the patriarch.

Prefixes attached to the root name such as (aben, iben, abi, avi, am, ben, bin, abou, a, aj, al, bel, ha, i, la, lel, me, m, o, wi, vi, ) denotes usually a relation to a person, i.e., the father of or the son of X, a place, i.e., a person from X, an occupation, i.e., a person who practices a specific occupation, a characteristic of a person, i.e., beautiful… The prefixes al, el are equivalent to ‘the’ in English or the article ‘le’ in French. In the Moroccan Berbers tradition, prefixes such as ‘wi’ ‘vi’ ‘i’ means usually a family relationship to X, the equivalent of Abu in Arabic, i.e., ‘the father of’, ‘son of’ a man, a tribal affiliation and so forth.In the Hebrew tradition, the prefix ‘M ‘ is an abbreviation of the word ‘from.’

Suffixes such as ‘i’ or ‘ri’ ‘ti’ refer to an association with a person or a location, for example: arditi= from ardou or ard.
Suffixes such as ‘illo’ ‘ano’ ‘ino’ ‘nino’ are used in Spain and Italy to indicate descendence or association with an attribute.
Suffixes such as ‘iah’ ‘yah’, ‘yahu’ ‘hu’ are used in Hebrew to denote God’s benediction, for example: aviyah, aviyahu, avihu…
Suffixws such as ‘oun’ ‘on’ ‘yout’ ‘out’ characterize adjectives in Hebrew, for example: Hayoun, hayout…
Suffixes such as oulah, oulay, ilah, ily, el, eli are used in Hebrew and Arabic to associate a name with God’ blessing.

ABA Itshak Y?houdah (XIXes.). Turkey. Rabbi. Author of a commentary on the prophet Isaiah.
ABBA Mari ben ?ligdor (1120?-1190?). France. Rabbi. Philosopher. Astronomer. Physician. Author.
ABBA Mori bar Moch? (1250?-). Spain. Lived in Provence. Rabbi. Opposed certain ideas of Ma?monides.

ABIAH Aaron (XVes.). Spain. Rabbi. Philosopher. Metaphysician. Author of philosophical treaties on the nature of the soul.
ABIOB Aaron (1535?-1605?). Turkey.. Rabbi in Salonica and Constantinople. Author of Biblical commentaries.

ABBOU Isaac D. (1896-1961). Morocco. Community leader in Casablanca. Author of Musulmans andalous et jud?o-espagnols (Jews and Moslem of Andalousia)
ABOU Ch?mou?l (XIXes.). Algeria. Contributed to the reconstruction of Safed. Consul of France in the Galilee. Protector of the tomb of Rabbi M?ir Ba?al Haness.
ABOU ALFADL Hasda? (Xes.). Spain. A man of many talents. Doctor. Linguist. philosopher. Math?matician. Musician.

ABOAB Emmanuel (1555-1628). Portugal. Marrano. Escaped to Italy to return to Judaism. Author of Nomologia o Discursos legales (Names and Legal discours). Died in J?rusalem.
ABOAB Itshak de Matathias (1631-1707). Netherlands. Merchant. Author of Doutrina Particular (A particular doctrine) and the play Joseph.
ABOAB Ch?mou?l ben Abraham (RACHA) (1610-1694). Germany (Hambourg). Rabbi. Multi-lingual. Chief rabbi of V?rone and Venise. Opposed Chabb?ta? Tsvi. Community leader. Collected funds for Palestine, redemption of hostages. Labored to rehabiltate marranos. Author of D?var Ch?mou?l (Discourses of Samuel).
ABOAB DA FONS?CA Itshak (1605-1693). Portugal (Castro d?Aire). Chief rabbi of Amsterdam and Pernambouc (Br?sil). Director of a Rabbinical seminary (y?chivah). Poet. Author of Z?kh?r ?asiti l?niflaot (A memorial to wonder) as well as M?l?kh?t hadikdouk (Hebrew grammar); Cha?ar hachamay?m (Heaven’s gate); Parafrasis comentada sobre el Pentateuco (A Commentary on the Torah). Translated the work of Abraham Cohen de Herrera, Casa de Dios e Puerta del Cielo (God Domaine).
ABOAB Itshak (?-1720). Netherlands. Chief rabbi of the Portuguese community in Amsterdam. Author of a treay on weights and measurments.
ABOAB Itshak (XIVes.). Spain. Rabbi. Philosopher. Author of S?f?r m?norat hama?or (The shining Menorah); Choulhan hapanim (A Table of Perspectives) Aron ha?’dout (A Chest of Testimonies).
ABOAB Itshak II (1433-1493?). Spain. Rabbi. One of the last leaders of the Jews in Castilian Spain. Director of Rabbinical Seminaries in Toledo and Guadalajara. Negociated a refuge in Portugal for Jews expulsed from Spain. Settled in Porto. Author of N?har Pichone (The Pichone River); Chitot h?al hatalmud (M?thodes in the Talmud); Comentario al Pentateuco (A Commentary on Nahmanides Mishne Torah).
ABOAB Yah?acov (XVIes.). Spain. Son of Itshak II Aboab. Rabbi. Moved to Constantinople where he published his father’s work.
ABOAB Yah?acov ben Ch?mou?l (?-1725). Italy. Succeeded his father as rabbi of Venise. Learned in sciences. Corresponded with learned men of his age. Author of D?var Ch?mou?l (Discourses of Samuel).

References:

Azoulay, Hayim Yossef Shem Hagdolim (the names of the great)

AZOULAY Ha?m Yossef David (Hida) (1724-1807) Ch?m hagu?dolim va?ad lahakhamim (The names of the Great Council of Sages).

Levi, J et. al. 2000        Dictionnaire biographique du monde Juif Sepharade et Mediteranean, Editions Elysee, Montreal.

Toledano, J. 1983        La saga des familles, Les juifs du Maroc et leurs noms, Editions Stavit, Tel Aviv

Laredo A. 1978           Les noms des juifs au Maroc (Madrid, 1978)