The meaning of names among Mediterranean Jews

Marc Eliany ?

AFFLELOU (Aflilo, Afelio, Alfilali, Filali, Tafilalet)
AFLALO

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

Aflalo is an ancient name. A tombstone in the Jewish cemetary of Oufran indicated that Moussa Aflalo was burried in the year 653. Based on the assumption that the name of settlers precedes the name of the settlement, it seems that the name may be a transformation of the Hebrew name ‘eli’ and that the settlers gave their name to the region they inhabited. Assuming the origin is Hebrew, the name consists of the prefix ‘af’ and ‘lalo’ = ‘eli’ in Hebrew. Both the prefix and the root were subject to a Berber transformation. The name, in another Berber variation, appears as ‘afelio’ in the Oued Outat (a branch of the river Moulouya) region in Morocco or from Ksar Afelilou of Oulad Outad, the tribe of Aït Izdeg in Morocco. The ‘aflilo’ region, known for its multitude of rivers and forts, was once inhabited by Jews. The name Afelio may be of a Hebrew/Roman origin, or at least a Roman transformation of a Hebrew name. Assuming a Roman influence, ‘lalo’ refers to the grandchildren or descendents of ‘eli’ (similar to Eli-ano). The name ‘eli’ appears also as ‘elal’ in Arabic. The name may appear in the form of ‘filal’ = descendent of ‘ilal’ = eli or Oulad Ifli in Tafilalet, Morocco. Thus ‘Tafilalet’ may be related to this name. It may be that the word ‘tafilalet’ is a Berber/Arab transformation of the Hebrew word ‘tefilat’ = prayer, pronounced in Judeo-Arabic as ‘tefilet.’ It may also refer to an origin i.e., from Assif Afella N’Draa, in Mezguita, Oued Draa, Morocco.

Prefixes attached to the root name such as (aben, iben, abe, abi, abou, aboul, avi, am, ben, bin, abou, a, aj, al, af, aff, bel, even, 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.’

Complex prefixes such as ‘Ab e’ in the name Ab E Rgel consist of two elements Ab=father and E=the.
Complex prefixes such as ‘BarHa’ in the name BarHaNess consist of two elements Bar=son and Ha=the.

Suffixes such as ‘an’ or ‘in’ denote affiliation or a characteristic in Aramaec.
Suffixes such as ‘a’ characterize ancient Hebrew names, i.e., AviHatsir’a’
Suffixes such as oulah, oulay, ilah, ily, el, eli are used in Hebrew and Arabic to associate a name with God’ blessing.
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 ‘yah’, ‘yahu’ ‘hu’ are used in Hebrew to denote God’s benediction, for example: aviyah, aviyahu, avihu…
Suffixes such as ‘oun’ ‘on’ ‘yout’ ‘out’ characterize adjectives in Hebrew, for example: Hayoun, hayout…

AFFLELOU Alain (XXes.). Algeria (Sidi-Bel-Abb?s). Businessman. Founder of a chain of optics stores in France.

AFLALO Joseph (1939-). Morocco (F?s). Lawyer and Political scientist. Auditor. Executive Director of the Ministry of Tourism among other financial institutions. One of the Founders of ‘Identit? et Dialogue’ to bridge between Moslems, Jews and Christians and peace in the Middle East.

AFLALO Ayouche (XVIIIes.). Morocco. Chief rabbi of Agadir. Author of many judical rulings.

References:

ABEHSSERA Chalom S?f?r youhassin (Genealogy Registers).

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)

The meaning of names among Mediterranean Jews

Marc Eliany ?

Abensour (EvenZur, Tsur, Zur)

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

AbenSour is represented here mostly by rabbis of Moroccan and Spanish origin but the name was widespread in Morocco. At least one of the Abensours (Itshak) contributed to the formulation of Takkanot ham?gorachim (Rulings for the Expulsed from Spain) which distinguished them from the ancient Jewish inhabitants of Morocco led by the AbenDanans.

The name is believed to be of ancient Hebrew origin.It consists of the prefix avi (aben, Ben, Ibn or Even) which implies fatherhood or lineage, the root ‘Zur’ = rock or the town of ‘Zur’ = Tyr in Northern Israel (contemporary Lebanon). The prefix ‘even’ = stone may be part of the name root rather than a prefix and may have expressed an emphasis (stone+rock).

Prefixes attached to the root name such as (aben, iben, abe, abi, abou, avi, am, ben, bin, abou, a, aj, al, bel, even, 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.’

Complex prefixes such as ‘BarHa’ in the name BarHaNess consist of two elements Bar=son and Ha=the.

Suffixes such as ‘an’ or ‘in’ denote affiliation or a characteristic in Aramaec.
Suffixes such as ‘a’ characterize ancient Hebrew names, i.e., AviHatsir’a’
Suffixes such as oulah, oulay, ilah, ily, el, eli are used in Hebrew and Arabic to associate a name with God’ blessing.
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 ‘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…

Abensour Isaac (1861-1927). Morocco (Tanger). Banker. Merchant. Community leader (1903-1932). Founder of the Hygene Commission. Honorary consul of Austria. British representative to the legislative assemblee in Tanger.
ABENSOUR Chalom (?-1727?). Morocco. Rabbi. Poet. Linguist. Author of S?f?r Chir hadach (New Poems) contains poems/lithurgy for the Jewish calendar and life cycle.
ABENSOUR Ch?lomo ?liahou (1822-1873). Morocco (F?s). Rabbi. Author of P?n? Ch?lomo (Solomon’s scale), a compilation of ancient rabbinical rulings.
ABENSOUR Ch?mou?l (XVes.). Spain. Rabbi. Community leader of Valladolid.
ABENSOUR Moch? (XVes.). Spain. Rabbi. Converted to Christianity to escape the Spanish Inquisition. Escaped to Fes where he returned to Judaism.
ABENSOUR Itshak (?-1605?). Morocco. Rabbi (F?s). One of the rabbi who formulated Takkanot ham?gorachim (Rulings for the Expulsed from Spain). Assassinated due to one of his rulings.
ABENSOUR Moch? (XVIIes.). Morocco. Rabbi. Poet. Lived in Sal?. Author of commentaries on the Kabala.
ABENSOUR Moch? (XVIIIes.). Morocco. Rabbi in Mekn?s and F?s. Author of an abstract of the work of Rabbi Ha?m Vital. His work remains in manuscript form.
ABENSOUR Rapha?l (1830-1917). Morocco. Rabbi. Notary. Chief of the rabbinical court (F?s). Author of rabbinical court rulings and commentaries. ABENSOUR R?ouven (16??-17??). Morocco. Rabbi. Kabalist. Author of rulings relating to ritual baths (cleansing).
ABENSOUR Yah?acov (YABETS) (1673-1753). Morocco. Son of R?ouven Abensour above. Rabbi in F?s, Mekn?s and T?touan . Kabalist. Linguist. Astronomer. Poet. Re-established the rabbinical court in Fes. Author of E’t l?kol h?f?ts (A time for everything); Michpat outsdakah b?yah?acov (Justice and charity for Israel). His eulogy for the destruction of the Second Temple is part of the 9th of Av ritual.

References:

ABEHSSERA Chalom S?f?r youhassin (Genealogy Registers).

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)

The meaning of names among Mediterranean Jews

Marc Eliany ?

ALNAKAOUA
ANKAOUA
ELN?CAV?
among other possible variations depending on the country and language of the person.

The root of the name may be ‘kavei’ from the Hebrew word ‘hope.’
‘ Nakoua’ may mean cleanliness in Arabic (North African Arabic dialect). ‘Kaoua’ may also mean ‘power’ or ‘authority’ in Arabic (North African Arabic dialect). It may be a Judeo-Moroccan transformation of the Hebrew word ‘koah’ (power).

The root ‘Kavei’ is preceded by the prefix ‘el,’ a common Hebrew prefix refering to god or ‘elohim’ in Hebrew. The prefixes ‘al’ or ‘an’ are articles equivalent to ‘the’ in English or ‘le’ in French.

Prefixes attached to the root name such as (aben, iben, abi, avi, ben, bin, abou, a, aj, al, bel, 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 ‘eri’ refer to an affiliation with a person or a place, for example: a descendent of ‘Mos’ or a ‘masri’ a person from Egypt.
Suffixes such as ‘ano’ ‘no’ ‘lino’ ‘nino’ are used in Spain and Italy to indicate descendence.

ALNAKAOUA Isra?l ben Yossef (?-1391). Spain. Po?t. Singer/prayer leader. Author of M?norat hama?or (The source of light). Attacked in a pogrom in Toledo. Committed suicide (1391). ELN?CAV? David (1882-1956). Turkey. Rabbi. Journalist. Editor in Bulgaria and Argentina. Founder of La Luz (the light). Member of the 12th Zionist congress in Karlsbad. Went to Latin America to enlist support for zionism and to encourage immigration to Palestine.
ELN?CAV? Nissim (XXes.).Argentina. son of David (above). Editor of La Luz.
ANKAOUA Abraham (1810-1860). Morocco. Rabbi. Chief Rabbi of Tlemcen, Mascara, Tunis and Livorno. Author of Otsrot hayim (Life treasures).
ANKAOUA Ephra?m (?-1442). Spain. Rabbi in Morocco and Algeria. Doctor. Philosopher. Linguist. Author of Chah?ar K?vod Hach?m (Gates to Divinity). An object of pilgrimage as a saint.
ANKAOUA Rapha?l (1848-1935). Morocco. Rabbi. Founder of a Rabbinical learning centre and a high rabbinic court in Rabat. Author of Pah?amon zahav (the golden bell). Became an object of pilgrimage as a saint.
ANKAOUA Yom Tov (XVIIIes.). Turkey. Rabbi. Author of commentaries on Maimonides and many rabbinical rulings.

References:

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)

The meaning of names among Mediterranean Jews

Marc Eliany ?

ALMOS (Moses, Moshei, Moise, Moissis)
ALMOSNINO
ELMOZNINO
MOZO
MOSSERI (Masri)
among other possible variations depending on the country and language of the person.

The root of the name may be ‘Mos’ from the Hebrew name Moses or a transformation of ‘masri,’ Arabic for Egyptian. The name may have a Spanish/Moore meaning, i.e., philantropist or a charitable person or a kind/good person (from the North African Arabic dialect ‘mezian.’)

The root ‘Mos’ is preceded by the prefix ‘al’ and followed by the suffix ‘nino’ in one case and ‘o’ in second case and ‘eri’ in a third case. Mos may refer to ‘Moses’ or an origin or location, perhaps Egypt. The use of ‘z’ in ‘Mozo’ is a likely spelling variation.

Prefixes attached to the root name such as (aben, iben, abi, avi, ben, bin, abou, a, aj, al, bel, 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 ‘eri’ refer to an affiliation with a person or a place, for example: a descendent of ‘Mos’ or a ‘masri’ a person from Egypt.
Suffixes such as ‘nino’ are used in Spain and Italy to indicate descendence.

ALMOS Abraham (1927-). Bulgaria. Painter in Israel. Paints in the symbolist and surrealist traditions.
ALMOSNINO Gabriel (1804-1894). Bulgaria. Chief Rabbi of Sofia. Was member of the Bulgarian Assembly in 1879.
ALMOSNINO Hasda? (?-1728). Morocco. Chief Rabbi of Tetouan. Author of Michm?rot hakodech (Gards of holiness).
ALMOSNINO Moch? (XVIIe-XVIIIes.). Morocco. Chief Rabbi of Tetouan. Author of B?ourim batanakh (Biblical interpretations).
ALMOSNINO Moch? ben Baroukh (1518?-1579?). Turkey. Rabbi, philosopher, astronomer, g?ographer, prolific author. Author of P?n? Moch? (Perspectives of Moses) on Aristotelian philosophy.
ALMOSNINO Yossef (?-1689). Yougoslavia. Chief Rabbi of Belgrade. Author of Edout l?yossef (Joseph’s testimony).
ALMOSNINO Yossef (1530-1600). Morocco. Rabbi. Doctor. Community leader. Author of S?f?r chor?ch hamitsvot (The roots of the commandments).
ALMOSNINO Yossef Ben Itshak (XVIIe-XVIIIes.). Turkey. Rabbi.

ELMOSNINO Ch?lomo (XIXes.). Morocco. Prayer leader at the Portuguese synagogue in London. Was involved in a controversy as to what is proper pronunciation.
ELMOZNINO Hasda? (1933-). Morocco. Educator and Artist, Painter and sculptor.
Elmoznino Roger (1938-). Morocco. Journalist. Educator. Illustrator of Marriage contracts.

MOZO Luis (El) (?-1596). Spain. One of the first writers in the New World. Originaire d?Espagne. Burnt alive by the Inquisition.
MOSS?RI ?lie (1879-1940). Egypt. Financier. Led the company that built the King David Hotel in Jerusalem.
MOSSERI Albert (1867-1933). Egypt. Doctor. Journalist. Editor of the Zionist Journal Kadimah (Eastward).
MOSSERI Jacques (1884-1934). Egypt. Linguist. Philologue. Contributor to the study of the Cairo G?nizah documents. Founder of Zionist organizations in Egypt. MOSSERI Victor (1873-1930). Egypt. Agronomist. Specialised in coton productivity.

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)

The meaning of names among Mediterranean Jews

Marc Eliany ?

ALMOS (Moses, Moshei, Moise, Moissis)
ALMOSNINO
ELMOZNINO
MOZO
MOSSERI (Masri)
among other possible variations depending on the country and language of the person.

The root of the name may be ‘Mos’ from the Hebrew name Moses or a transformation of ‘masri,’ Arabic for Egyptian. The name may have a Spanish/Moore meaning, i.e., philantropist or a charitable person or a kind/good person (from the North African Arabic dialect ‘mezian.’)

The root ‘Mos’ is preceded by the prefix ‘al’ and followed by the suffix ‘nino’ in one case and ‘o’ in second case and ‘eri’ in a third case. Mos may refer to ‘Moses’ or an origin or location, perhaps Egypt. The use of ‘z’ in ‘Mozo’ is a likely spelling variation.

Prefixes attached to the root name such as (aben, iben, abi, avi, ben, bin, abou, a, aj, al, bel, 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 ‘eri’ refer to an affiliation with a person or a place, for example: a descendent of ‘Mos’ or a ‘masri’ a person from Egypt.
Suffixes such as ‘nino’ are used in Spain and Italy to indicate descendence.

ALMOS Abraham (1927-). Bulgaria. Painter in Israel. Paints in the symbolist and surrealist traditions.
ALMOSNINO Gabriel (1804-1894). Bulgaria. Chief Rabbi of Sofia. Was member of the Bulgarian Assembly in 1879.
ALMOSNINO Hasda? (?-1728). Morocco. Chief Rabbi of Tetouan. Author of Michm?rot hakodech (Gards of holiness).
ALMOSNINO Moch? (XVIIe-XVIIIes.). Morocco. Chief Rabbi of Tetouan. Author of B?ourim batanakh (Biblical interpretations).
ALMOSNINO Moch? ben Baroukh (1518?-1579?). Turkey. Rabbi, philosopher, astronomer, g?ographer, prolific author. Author of P?n? Moch? (Perspectives of Moses) on Aristotelian philosophy.
ALMOSNINO Yossef (?-1689). Yougoslavia. Chief Rabbi of Belgrade. Author of Edout l?yossef (Joseph’s testimony).
ALMOSNINO Yossef (1530-1600). Morocco. Rabbi. Doctor. Community leader. Author of S?f?r chor?ch hamitsvot (The roots of the commandments).
ALMOSNINO Yossef Ben Itshak (XVIIe-XVIIIes.). Turkey. Rabbi.

ELMOSNINO Ch?lomo (XIXes.). Morocco. Prayer leader at the Portuguese synagogue in London. Was involved in a controversy as to what is proper pronunciation.
ELMOZNINO Hasda? (1933-). Morocco. Educator and Artist, Painter and sculptor.
Elmoznino Roger (1938-). Morocco. Journalist. Educator. Illustrator of Marriage contracts.

MOZO Luis (El) (?-1596). Spain. One of the first writers in the New World. Originaire d?Espagne. Burnt alive by the Inquisition.
MOSS?RI ?lie (1879-1940). Egypt. Financier. Led the company that built the King David Hotel in Jerusalem.
MOSSERI Albert (1867-1933). Egypt. Doctor. Journalist. Editor of the Zionist Journal Kadimah (Eastward).
MOSSERI Jacques (1884-1934). Egypt. Linguist. Philologue. Contributor to the study of the Cairo G?nizah documents. Founder of Zionist organizations in Egypt. MOSSERI Victor (1873-1930). Egypt. Agronomist. Specialised in coton productivity.

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)

The meaning of names among Mediterranean Jews

Marc Eliany ?

ALGAZI
Ergaz
GUEDJ
GUEZ
among other possible variations depending on the country and language of the person.

The root of the name may be ‘gz’

Prefixes attached to the root name such as (aben, iben, abi, avi, ben, bin, abou, a, aj, al, bel, e, er, i, 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.’

The root ‘gz’ in North African dialects may refer to a place named ‘gaz’ or ‘gez’.

The root ‘gzz’ in Hebrew refers to ‘shear’ or ‘sheep shearing’ and possibly ‘pass’ or ‘go by.’

ALGAZI Itshak ben Ch?lomo (1882-1964).Turkey. Poet. Singer and composer in Uruguay. Authored Chir? Yisra?l b??r?ts hak?dem (The songs of Israel in the Orient).
ALGAZI L?on Y?houdah (1890-1971). Roumenia. Composer. Conductor. Music professor. Broadcaster with the Voice of Israel.
ALGAZI Abraham ben Moch? (1560?-1640?). Turkey. Rabbi.
ALGAZI Ch?lomo (1610-1683). Turkey. Rabbi. Opposed the false messaiah Chabb?ta? Tsvi. Author of L?h?m s?tarim (Secret Bread).
ALGAZI Ch?lomo ben Abraham (1673-1726). Palestine. Chief rabbi in Egypt. Author. His books disappeared.
ALGAZI Itshak ben Abraham (XVIIes.). Greece. Rabbi. Originaire de Gr?ce. Author of Dor?ch tov (On the path of goodness path).
ALGAZI Nissim Yah?acov ben Ha?m Ch?lomo (XVIIIes.). Turkey. Rabbi. Author of commentaries in Safed, Israel.

GUEDJ Edgard (XXes.). Algeria. Administrator and educator. Contributed to the development of the youth movement in Morocco.
GUEDJ Gaston (XXes.). Tunisia. Author of Nos martyrs sous la botte nazie (Marthyrs under Nazi boots)1943.
GUEDJ Max (XXes.). Algeria. Poet and Fiction author Le voyage en Barbarie (Travelling in Berber Land).
GUEDJ ?liahou Ha? (1830-?). Tunisia. Rabbi. Educator. Rabbi. Poet. Author of Ma?ass? hacha?achou?im (A tale of joy).

GUEZ Mathilda (1918-1990). Tunisia.Member of the Israeli parliament as a Labor representative.
GUEZ Paul (1898-1972). Tunisia. Officer in the France army during WWI and WWII. Author of Six mois sous la botte nazie (Six months under the booth).

ERGAZ Yossef (1685-1730). Italy. Rabbi. Opposed N?h?miah Hia Hayoun, a follower of Shabetai Zvi.

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

The meaning of names among Mediterranean Jews

Marc Eliany ?

Albala, Albalag, Albalagh
Albalia, Bally, Bali
Alba, Albou, Albo (see albuquerque) , Albino, Albeda
Beliah, Elbiliah
among other possible variations depending on the country and language of the person.

The root of the name may be balagh, bali, liah or biliah, alb

Prefixes attached to the root name such as (aben, iben, abi, avi, ben, bin, abou, a, bel ) 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 Arab tradition, the prefix ‘Abu’ means usually ‘the father of’, a man is given the prefix ‘abu’ to identify him as the father of X. ‘Abu’ may also indicate a tribal affiliation. In the Hebrew tradition, the prefix ‘El ‘ is an abreviation of Elohim, Hebrew for God.

The root ‘balagh’ in Arabic refers usually to ‘shoemaker.’ The prefix as well as the letters ‘g’ and ‘h’ may have been omitted due to foreign languages influence.
The root ‘bali’ in Arabic refers usually to ‘old’ or ‘ancient.’ The prefix may have been omitted due to foreign languages influence.
The root ‘alb’ in Arabic refers usually to ‘heart.’ Alba means ‘her heart’ and Albou or Albo mean ‘his heart.’
The root ‘beda’ in Arabic refers usually to ‘white.’ Albeda means ‘the white.’ It may lend credence to the suggestion that Albo refers to Albinos in Spanish/Protuguese (see below) and to the Hebrew reference to ‘Laban’ or white (see below).

Albo may be a diminutive of Albinos in Spanish and Portuguese, indicating to a physical characteristics as well as to Spanish/Portuguese origin.
Albo may be a translation to Portuguese of the Hebrew word ‘Laban’ i.e., white or a Biblical ancestor related to Abraham, Laban the Aramean.

Beliah and Elbiliah may be deformations of the Hebrew names Leah and Bilhah.

ALBALA DE LEVY Ana (XXes.). Chili. Poet.
ALBALA David (1886-1942). Serbia. Doctor. Zionist community leader.
ALBALAG Itshak (XIIIes.). Spain. Philosopher. translated Al-Ghaz?l?, Makasid alfalasifa into Hebrew (Opinions des philosophes).

ALBALIA Baroukh ben Itshak (1077-1126). Spain. Rabbi. Judge. Versed in Greek and Arab Philosophy. Director of the Cordoba Yeshiva.
ALBALIA Itshak ben Baroukh (1035-1094). Spain. Rabbi. Astrologue. Mathematician. Communuty leader. Advisor to King Al Moutamid of S?ville. Author of Mahb?r?t sod hah?ibour (the Book of Additions).

BALLY Ment?s (XIXes.). Turkey. Community leader. Head of the Sepharadi community of Bucarest.

BELIAH Ha?m bar Abraham (1832-1919). Algeria. Rabbi.

ALBA Nissim (Miki) (XXes.). Macedonia. Colonel. Fought against the Nazi occupation in Bulgaria.
ALBOU Roger (XXes.). Algeria. Member of the Algerian resistance.
ALBO Dan (1956-). Morocco. Political scientist. Poet. Writer. Painter. Lives and works in Israel.
ALBO Yossef (1383-1444). Spanish. Rabbi. Philosopher. Doctor. Author of et m?decin, S?f?r hah?ikarim (The Book of Principles).

ALB?DA Moch? Ben Yah?acov (1500-1583?). Spain. Philosopher. Rabbi in Grece and Albania. Author of commentaries on the Bible and Ma?monides.

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

The meaning of names among Mediterranean Jews

Marc Eliany ?

Adrey, Derry, Deri, Dery, Derhy, Drai, Dray, Ederi, Edery, Edrehi, among other possible variations depending on the country and language of the person.

The root of the name is: dra’

Prefixes attached to the root name such as (a, aben, iben, abi, avi, ben, bin, abou) 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, a part of a body, i.e. arm. In some cases, a name may be followed by a suffix such as ‘i’ or ‘y.’ The suffix has a similar meaning to the prefix. It denotes a relationship to a person, a place, etc…

In the Arab tradition, the prefix ‘A’ denotes usually a relationship to a family, a tribe or a place, among other possibilities.
The root ‘dra’’ in Arabic refers usually to ‘arm’ but it may also refer to a place ‘the river dra’ in Southern Morocco.’ In some cases,the letter ‘h’ accompanies the root dra’ when spelled in French, as a substitute to the sound ‘a’yin’ which does not exist in French. Many people omitted the ‘h’ and the a’yin due to French influence.

The root ‘dra’’ in not known or does not exist in Hebrew.

ADREY Maurice (Mo?se) (1899-1950). Algeria. Painter. Painted portraits of wealthy people in Algiers.
DERRY Benjamin (XXes.).Morocco. Painter. His work in France portrayed the Moroccan Melah, its rabbis and scribes.
DERHY Ren? (XXes.). Morocco. A leading fashion designer in Paris, France.
D?RI Andr? (1937-). Morocco. Pharmacist in France. Community leader.
D?RY William (XXes.). Morocco. Dental surgeon and community leader in Quebec, Canada.
D?RI Aryeh (1959-). Morocco. Rabbi. Founders of the religious party ‘Shas’. Served as minister and parliament member in Israel.
DRA? Rapha?l (XXes.). Algeria. Political science professor in France. Author of La sortie d??gypte, Le temps dans la vie politique, among other publications.
DRAY Julien (1955-). Algeria. Historian, a founder of SOS Racisme in France. Author of Lettre d?un d?put? de base ? ceux qui nous gouvernent.
DRA? Isaac (XXes.). Algeria. Rabbi. Subject to annual pilgrimage.
?D?RY G?rard (XXes.). Morocco. Musician in New York. Specializes in Judeo-Spanish music.
?D?RY Rapha?l (1937-). Morocco. Member of the Israeli parliament affiliated with the Labor Party. Mayor of Hatsor. Politician, businessman.
?D?RY Ha?m (XVIIes.). Morocco. Rabbi of the Dra’ region. Author of S?f?r hah?zyonot (the book of dreams)
?D?RY Mord?kha? (1928-). Morocco. Rabbi in Argentina. Director of the Buenos Aires seminary.
?DR?HI Moch? de Itshak (1771-1841). Morocco. Rabbi in England and Holland. Linguistics professor. Author of Ten Tribes Settled Beyond the River Sambatyon in the East on lost tribes found in Southern Morocco.

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

The meaning of names among Mediterranean Jews

Marc Eliany ?

ABOUDARHAM, AbouDraham

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

AbouDraham is represented here mostly by Moroccan and Spanish involved in commerce and finance as well as rabbinic leadership. The name was widespread in Morocco.

The name consists of a complex prefix made of two elements abou = father which implies lineage and the root ‘draham’ = an ancient Roman currency known as ‘drahma’ in Hebrew writings or ‘dirham’ in some Arab countries, including Morocco. It may refer to a person who dealt with finance and money exchange. The occupation may have been passed on from father to son. The Aboudrahams were well known in the domain of finance in Spain and in Morocco, after the expulsion. The family was known also for its rabbinical leadership.

Prefixes attached to the root name such as (aben, iben, abe, abi, abou, avi, am, ben, bin, abou, a, aj, al, bel, even, 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.’

Complex prefixes such as ‘Ab e’ in the name Ab E Rgel consist of two elements Ab=father and E=the.
Complex prefixes such as ‘BarHa’ in the name BarHaNess consist of two elements Bar=son and Ha=the.

Suffixes such as ‘an’ or ‘in’ denote affiliation or a characteristic in Aramaec.
Suffixes such as ‘a’ characterize ancient Hebrew names, i.e., AviHatsir’a’
Suffixes such as oulah, oulay, ilah, ily, el, eli are used in Hebrew and Arabic to associate a name with God’ blessing.
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 ‘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…

ABOUDARHAM Moch? (Elt?touani) (XVIIIes.). Morocco. One of the King Merchant (tajer asultan) appointed along with Shemouel Sunbal by sultan Sidi Moulay Abdallah to conduct foreign trade from Mogador (Essaouira) (1766).
AbouDraham Shelomo. Morocco (Tetouan) (XVI-XVII). Chief rabbi of Tetouan. Poet. Author of Piske din (rabbinical rulings) and Hazouzim (Poems).
AbouDraham David (Don, El Viejo). Treasurer of Castillia (13th century). Community leader of Toledo. Founded a synagogue in Toledo.
ABOUDARHAM David ben Yossef (1341-?). Spain (S?villia). Rabbi. Author of S?f?r Aboudarham (The book of Aboudarham), P?rouch hab?rakhot v?hat?filot (The meaning of benedictions and prayers).
ABOUDARHAM Yah?acov (XIXes.). Morocco (Sal?). Morocco. S?f?r Koh?l?t Yah?acov (Jacob’s Eccl?siasties).

References:

ABEHSSERA Chalom S?f?r youhassin (Genealogy Registers).

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)

The meaning of names among Mediterranean Jews

Marc Eliany ?

ABENDANA (danan, IbnDanan, BenDanan)
ABENDANA DE BRITO
ABENDANAN

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

AbenDanan is represented here by a famous family of rabbis of Moroccan origin (Fes) who moved back and forth from the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa. Some scattered to European countries such as the Netherlands and Britain. They demonstrate the close links and interdependence between the Spanish/Portuguese and North African Jewry. Danan is believed to be of Babylonian origin. The Danans led the ancient Jewish Moroccan diaspora, called Toshavim (Inhabitants) who distinguished themselves by maintaining Palestinian/Babylonian rituals and rabbinical rulings. The name consist of the prefix avi (aben, Ben, Ibn) which implies fatherhood or lineage, the root ‘dan’ = the tribe of Dan, one of Jacob’s children. It may be associated with judicial practice as ‘dan’ = judging in Hebrew and Danan may be an Aramaec transformation of Dan during passage in Babylonia.

Prefixes attached to the root name such as (aben, iben, abe, abi, abou, 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.’

Complex prefixes such as BarHa in the name BarHaNess consist of two elements Bar=son and Ha=the.

Suffixes such as ‘an’ or ‘in’ denote affiliation or a characteristic in Aramaec.

Suffixes such as ‘a’ characterize ancient Hebrew names, i.e., AviHatsir’a’
Suffixes such as oulah, oulay, ilah, ily, el, eli are used in Hebrew and Arabic to associate a name with God’ blessing.
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 ‘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…

ABENDANA Itshak Sardo (1622?-1709). Netherlands. Diamond Jewler. Operated in India and London.
ABENDANA DE BRITO Itshak Ha?m (1660-1760). Netherlands. Rabbi of de Brito. Approved the publication of May?m rabbim (Sacred Sources) of Rapha?l Meldola, the rabbi of Bayonne.
ABENDANA Itshak (1640-1710). Marrano origin. Brother of Ya?acov Abendana. Doctor. Rabbi. Hebrew teacher at Cambridge and Oxford. Translator of the Mishnah to latin. Author of Jewish Almanachs juifs targetting Christian readers.
ABENDANA Yah?acov Yossef (1630-1685). Marrano origin. Amsterdam community leader. Rabbi of the Spanish Portuguese Jewish Community in London. Author and translator. Translated the Kouzari of Rabbi Y?houdah Hal?vi, and Ma?monides’ Mishne Torah.
ABENDANAN Ch?lomo (1848-1929). Morocco (Fes). Rabbi. Kabalist. Rabbinical Judge in Fes and Rabat. Contributed to improving the conditions of life of Moroccan Jewry due to his influence of the French Protectorat. Author of Acher lichlomo (The Wisdom of Solomon) and Bik?ch Ch?lomo (Solomon’s Plea).
ABENDANAN Ch?mou?l (?-1622). Morocco (Fes). Rabbi. Notary. Author.
ABENDANAN Ch?mou?l (XVIes.). Spain. Grandson of Saadia ben Moch? Abendanan. Settled in Fes after the expulsion from Spain. Community leader. Rabbi. Acredited Yossef Caro as rabbi.
ABENDANAN Ch?mou?l (1542-1621). Spain. Grandson of Rabbi Ch?mou?l Abendanan. Rabbi. Chief rabbinical judge in F?s.
ABENDANAN Moch? (RAMBAM Elfassi) (XIVe-XVes.). Morocco (F?s). Rabbi. Author of a commentary on the Talmud.
ABENDANAN Saadia ben Moch? (?-1493). Morocco (F?s). Rabbi. Talmudist. Doctor and poet. Chief rabbi of Granada. Returned to Fes after the Expulsion from Spain (1492).Author of a Hebrew/Arab dictionary, a history of the Jews in Morocco and Spain and judgements re forced conversion.

References:

ABEHSSERA Chalom S?f?r youhassin (Genealogy Registers).

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)

The meaning of names among Mediterranean Jews

Marc Eliany ?

Adrey, Derry, Deri, Dery, Derhy, Drai, Dray, Ederi, Edery, Edrehi, among other possible variations depending on the country and language of the person.

The root of the name is: dra’

Prefixes attached to the root name such as (a, aben, iben, abi, avi, ben, bin, abou) 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, a part of a body, i.e. arm. In some cases, a name may be followed by a suffix such as ‘i’ or ‘y.’ The suffix has a similar meaning to the prefix. It denotes a relationship to a person, a place, etc…

In the Arab tradition, the prefix ‘A’ denotes usually a relationship to a family, a tribe or a place, among other possibilities.
The root ‘dra’’ in Arabic refers usually to ‘arm’ but it may also refer to a place ‘the river dra’ in Southern Morocco.’ In some cases,the letter ‘h’ accompanies the root dra’ when spelled in French, as a substitute to the sound ‘a’yin’ which does not exist in French. Many people omitted the ‘h’ and the a’yin due to French influence.

The root ‘dra’’ in not known or does not exist in Hebrew.

ADREY Maurice (Mo?se) (1899-1950). Algeria. Painter. Painted portraits of wealthy people in Algiers.
DERRY Benjamin (XXes.).Morocco. Painter. His work in France portrayed the Moroccan Melah, its rabbis and scribes.
DERHY Ren? (XXes.). Morocco. A leading fashion designer in Paris, France.
D?RI Andr? (1937-). Morocco. Pharmacist in France. Community leader.
D?RY William (XXes.). Morocco. Dental surgeon and community leader in Quebec, Canada.
D?RI Aryeh (1959-). Morocco. Rabbi. Founders of the religious party ‘Shas’. Served as minister and parliament member in Israel.
DRA? Rapha?l (XXes.). Algeria. Political science professor in France. Author of La sortie d??gypte, Le temps dans la vie politique, among other publications.
DRAY Julien (1955-). Algeria. Historian, a founder of SOS Racisme in France. Author of Lettre d?un d?put? de base ? ceux qui nous gouvernent.
DRA? Isaac (XXes.). Algeria. Rabbi. Subject to annual pilgrimage.
?D?RY G?rard (XXes.). Morocco. Musician in New York. Specializes in Judeo-Spanish music.
?D?RY Rapha?l (1937-). Morocco. Member of the Israeli parliament affiliated with the Labor Party. Mayor of Hatsor. Politician, businessman.
?D?RY Ha?m (XVIIes.). Morocco. Rabbi of the Dra’ region. Author of S?f?r hah?zyonot (the book of dreams)
?D?RY Mord?kha? (1928-). Morocco. Rabbi in Argentina. Director of the Buenos Aires seminary.
?DR?HI Moch? de Itshak (1771-1841). Morocco. Rabbi in England and Holland. Linguistics professor. Author of Ten Tribes Settled Beyond the River Sambatyon in the East on lost tribes found in Southern Morocco.

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