The meaning of names among Mediterranean Jews

Marc Eliany ?
ARROUAS
HARROUCH HARRUS (Harosh, Arosh, Harris)
BENARROCH BenAroch BenArosh BenHaroch BenArus
AROUSI (A’rousi)

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

Harosh means the head or the leader in the Hebrew language. The name is common in North Africa and went through typical transformation due to linguistic influences throughout the region. Haroush is an Arabic transformation, Harrus is a French transformation and Harris is an English transformation (mostly in Egypt).

Arrouas is the plural of head in North African Arabic. It may also refer to the occupation of roaster in the Arabic language. Some suggest that the name Arrouas is related to the name Arroyo. Arroyo is a province/county of Madrid, Spain.

A’rousi, may have a completely different meaning and is in all likelihood based on a different root. The name A’rousi is found in Tunisia and Yemen and means ‘my groom.’

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.

ARROUAS Albert (XXes.). Alg?ria (B?ne). Lived in Tunis. Journalist. Author of Le Livre d?or (The Golden Book).
ARROUAS Yossef (1847-1925). Morroco (Rabat). Leader of the Sepharadi community in Palestine. Author of Hod Yossef (Joseph splendour).

HARROUCH Michel (1948-). Morocco (Casablanca). Th??tre professor. Radio animator. Painter.
HARRUS Elias (1919-). Morocco (Beni Mellal). Educator. Director of Alliance schools in Marrakech and the Atlas region. et de l?extr?me sud du Maroc. Exhibited rare photographs of Jews in remote Atlas communities at the Diaspora Museum in Israel.

BENARROCH Isaac (XIXes.) V?n?zu?la. Intellectual. Author of El Indiano, el cadi y la luna (The Indian, the Cadi and the Moon).
BENAROCH Rapha?l (1921-1994). Morocco (Rabat). Lawyer. Author of Succession Law in Morocco. Chair of O.S.E. (Oeuvre de Secours pour l?Enfance). Led the establishment of the Union of North African World Jewry in Nice, France.
BENAROCH Roger (1934-). Morocco (Mekn?s). Professor of mangement at l??cole sup?rieure de commerce de Paris. Community leader. Founder and leader of the Movement of Liberal Jews in France.
BENARROCH Ch?lomo (?-1880). Morocco (Mekn?s). King Merchant. Owner of the Bahtit synagogue in Meknes.
BENARROCH Joseph (1942-). Morocco (Mekn?s). Counsellor in finance in Qu?bec (Montr?al). Chair of the S?pharade francophone association and the Canadian s?pharade federation.
BENARROCH Lucien (1941-). Morocco (Mekn?s). Textile engineer in Quebec. Chair of the Communaut? S?pharade du Qu?bec (1985-1987).
BENARROCH Yamin A. (1882-1949). Morocco (T?touan). Philanthropist. Chair of the Jewish community of M?lilla. Founder of a synagogue in J?rusalem and a y?chivah in Tib?rias.
BENHARROSH Gilbert (1938-1998). Morocco (Rabat). Agronomist in Quebec. Led projects in Canada au Burkina Fasso.
BENARROCH PARIENT? ?lias (XIXe-XXes.). V?n?zu?la. Doctor. Specialist in tropical diseases.
BENARUS Adolpho (1863-1958). Portugal. Painter. Author. Taught english at Lisbon university. Community leader.

AROUSI Abraham (1878-1934). Y?men (Kaubakan). Folklorist. Poet. Author of an anthology of Yemenite folktales and poems.

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 ?

ARIE (arieh, arie, aric, eric)
among other possible variations depending on the country and language of the person.

ARI? is Hebrew for Lion. It is a popular Hebrew name in Israel. It appears with the prefix Ben as well as in a variety of forms, i.e., arieh, arie, aric, eric.

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 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…

ARI? Gabriel (1863-1939). Bulgaria (Samakoff). Educator. Community leader. Businessman and historian.

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 ?

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

Arditi and Ardouati are rare names in our inventory of Mediterranean names adopted by Jews. The names are in all likelihood an indication of origin, refering to an unknown location.

Prefixes attached to the root name such as (aben, iben, abi, avi, am, 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 ‘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.

ARDOUTIEL Chem Tov (Santob ou Don Santo de Carrion) (XIIIe-XIVes.?). Spain. Poet. Author of Proverbios morales o Consejos y documentos al rey don Pedro (Proverbs and advice to King Pierre of Castilia).
ARDITI Albert Judah (1891-1942). Greece. Politician. Vice mayor of Salonica. Deported and perished in Auschwitz.
ARDITI Benjamin (XXes.). Bulgaria. Zionist leader in Sofia, affiliated with the revisionists. Member of the Israeli Parliament. Authored publications on Bulgarian Jews.
ARDITI Rodolphe (1872-?). Bulgaria (Sofia). Lived in Tunisia. Rabbi in the French army. Author of publication relating to Tunisian Jewry.

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 ?

ARCHIVOLTI

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

ARCHIVOLTI is represented by an entry of Portuguese origin. It is an Italian/European name.

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…

ARCHIVOLTI Carlo (1873-1944). Italy. Major general in the Italian army.

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 ?

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

Arcady is a rare name in our inventory of Mediterranean names adopted by Jews. The name is in all likelihood an indication of origin, refering to an unknown location.

Prefixes attached to the root name such as (aben, iben, abi, avi, am, 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 ‘ri’ ‘ti’ refer to an association with a person or a location, for example: arcadi= from arcad.
Suffixes such as ‘illo’ ‘ano’ ‘ino’ ‘nino’ are used in Spain and Italy to indicate descendence or association with an attribute.

ARCADY Alexandre (1947-). Alg?ria. Actor. Film director. Producer. Director of Le grand pardon; Le Grand Carnaval; Hold Up; Dernier ?t?; Tanger; L?union sacr?e; Dis-moi oui; Pour Sacha et L?-bas, mon pays.

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 ?

ARAMA (ha-ramati, ha-aghamati, Rama, A’rema, Arami)
among other possible variations depending on the country and language of the person.

The name Arama was mentioned in a correspondence between a rabbi from the village Aghama near Marakesh, a village of Cohanim (priests) and leading rabbis in Babylon. The name is in all likelihood an indication of origin, refering to a location, perhaps the village of priests Aghama near Marakesh. But it may also indicate to the town of Arama in the province of Guipuezcoa in the Basque region in Spain or a person from Aram in ancient Babylonia. The patriarch Abraham originate from Aram Naharayim in ancient Babylon. The word Arami refers to a person of Aramaean origin in the Hebew language. The word a’rema means ‘pile’ in Hebrew and North African Arabic. The word rama means ‘level’ or ‘height’ or ‘mount’ in Hebrew.

Prefixes attached to the root name such as (aben, iben, abi, avi, am, 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 ‘ri’ ‘ti’ refer to an association with a person or a location, for example: aghamati= from aghama.
Suffixes such as ‘illo’ ‘ano’ ‘ino’ ‘nino’ are used in Spain and Italy to indicate descendence or association with an attribute.

ARAMA Maurice (1934-). Morocco. (Mekn?s). Artist. Painter. Art Historian. Director of the school of art in Casablanca. Author of Itin?raires marocains, regards de peintres (Pilgrimage of painters in Morocco).
ARAMA Itshak ben Moch? (1420-1494). Spain. (Zamora). Rabbi. Rabbinical academy director. Settled in Naples after the expulsion from Spain.
Author of A’k?dat Itshak (The sacrifice of Isaac).
ARAMA M?ir ben Itshak (1460?-1545). Spain. (Saragossa). Rabbi. Judge. Author. Lived in Naples and Saloniqua.

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 ?

ANTONIO

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

ANTONIO is represented by an entry of a Marrano of Portuguese origin. It is a common Portuguese/European name.

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…

ANTONIO Marcos (XVIes.). Portugal (Castel Branco). Senior Spanish army official. Executed in 1569 in Mexico due to the illicit practice of Judaism.

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 ?

AMSELLEM AMSELEM (A’mshalem, amsalem)
among other possible variations depending on the country and language of the person.

The root of the name may consist of two components in Hebrew ‘am’ and ‘shalem’, infering to an origin from Jerusalem or to an affinity to the people of Israel. It may also mean ‘entire people’ or ‘perfect people.’ The name is widespread among North African Jews, mostly in Morocco and Algeria.

The root of the name ‘amsalem’ may have an Arabic meaning, refering to ‘convert to Islam’ or a person who is protected by Islam as ‘dhimi’ under the Pact of Omar.

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 ‘ri’ refer to an association with a person, for example: Mori = my teacher.
Suffixes such as ‘illo’ ‘ano’ ‘ino’ ‘nino’ are used in Spain and Italy to indicate descendence or association with an attribute.

AMSELLEM Georges-?lazar (1947-). Morocco. (Midelt). Film producer. Author and poet. Producer of Dead ringer. Author of Le c?ur en voyage (A heart on a voyage).
AMSELEM Mo?se (1932-). Morocco. (Larache). Pharmacist. Community leader. Chair of the Sepharadi community in Quebec in1998.
AMSELLEM Makhlouf (1837-1927). Algeria. lived in Morocco and Israel. Author of Tapouh? zahav bemichk?lot k?ss?f (Golden apples in silver weight).
AMSELLEM Ch?lomo (1879-1963). Morocco. (Midelt). Rabbi. Judge. Author of B?n? Ch?lomo (Solomon’s children).
AMSELLEM Simah (1850-1906). Algeria. Rabbin of Oran.

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 ?

AMOYAL,
MOYAL, MOUYAL (muy, moual)
among other possible variations depending on the country and language of the person.

The root of the name may be ‘muy’ in Spanish, infering to a high status or simply to ‘much’, perhaps much wealth. It may also refer to the ‘Moya’ an ethnic group in the province of Cuenca in Spain or to the village of ‘Moya’ in the province of Lugo. The name widespread among North African Jews, mostly in Morocco and Algeria.

The root of the name may be ‘ moual’ in Arabic, refering to ‘chorus.’ It is preceded by the Berber prefix ‘a.’ Thus Moyal may have been associated with singing or composition.

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 ‘ri’ refer to an association with a person, for example: Mori = my teacher.
Suffixes such as ‘illo’ ‘ano’ ‘ino’ ‘nino’ are used in Spain and Italy to indicate descendence or association with an attribute.

AMOYAL Pierre (XXes.). France. Violonist. lead a successful international career.
MOYAL Chim?on (1866-1915). Palestine (Jaffa). Moroccan origin. Journalist. Writer. Founder of an Arab paper Sat Al Otmaniah (the voice of the Ottoman).
MOYAL ?lie (XXes.). Morocco. Architect. Led project in Morocco Isra?l.
MOYAL Esther (1873-1948). Lebanon. Journalist. Feminist activist. Founder of the paper al-A?la (the family). Co-editor of Sat Al Otmaniah. Translated Emile Zola to Arabic.
MOYAL Elie (XXes.). Morocco. Mayor of M?vasseret Y?rouchala?m, a suburb of J?rusalem. Labor party activist. Founded and led the World Centre of North African Jewry.
MOUYAL Abraham (1847-1885). Morocco. Contributed to the development of Jewish settlement in Palestine.

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 ?

AMIR Amiram Amirov A’mir A’miram
among other possible variations depending on the country and language of the person.

The root of the name may be Amir in Arabic, refering to a person of high status. The name Amir is rare among North African Jews but common among Iraqi Jews. It has become widespread in Israel because of it is a meaningful Hebrew word.

The roots ‘Amir’ is Hebrew for upper branches. If spelled with a’yin, a’mir means sheaf (of corn for example). It is conceivable that A’mir is a derivative of A’miram which is Hebrew for precious people (A’mi = my people, ram = precious, respected).

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 ‘ri’ refer to an association with a person, for example: Mori = my teacher.
Suffixes such as ‘illo’ ‘ano’ ‘ino’ ‘nino’ are used in Spain and Italy to indicate descendence or association with an attribute.

AMIR Elie (1937-). Originaire d?Irak (Baghdad), install? en Isra?l. Haut-fonctionnaire dans la division de l?immigration des jeunes ? l?Agence Juive et ?crivain, il est l?auteur des romans Adieu Baghdad et Le bouc ?missaire qui d?crivent la vie ? Baghdad et les probl?mes d?int?gration des Juifs irakiens au sein de la soci?t? isra?lienne.

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)