Western Yugur Given Names
Senïñ atqa ni tighik-i? Menïñ atqa Yakhïr tighik.
What is your name? My name is Yakhyr.
In general, the Western Yugur people have Chinese given names. Older people may still have a Western Yugur name besides their Chinese name, but this name is rarely used. Many young people only have a Chinese given name but adopted a Western Yugur name later on.
Recurring elements in both men's and women's names are sut, milk, and yagh, butter, which is not surprising for a people who used to live mainly from animal husbandry.
Modern women's names often end in jis, malachite, a green gem. Apparently this way of composing names is a fairly young tradition; there are only few examples in the older sources on Western Yugur and usually these are children's names.
Women's names ending in -jis Western Yugur name Meaning Sutjis milk malachite Yaghjis butter malachite Khunjis sun malachite Ayjis moon malachite Norjis jewel malachite Yins'iñjis silver apricot malachite The element nor- probably derives from Tibetan nor-bu, jewel. Yínxìng is a Chinese name meaning 'silver apricot'.
Examples of other Western Yugur women's names are:
Women's names Western Yugur name Meaning Marjan coral Nayiñtay ? Sut Qïz milk girl The following Western Yugur children's names are actually taboo names: a pejorative name is supposed to ward off evil. The first name is a boys' name; it is unclear whether the other names are boys' or girls' names.
Children's protective names Western Yugur name Meaning Yus Artaq bad darling Pharwaq unkempt Sut Paqa milk frog Yagh Paqa butter frog Toñïs pig The following Western Yugur men's names are also taboo names. The last name is also a women's name.
Men's protective names Western Yugur name Meaning Yakhïr butter dirt Sukhïr water dirt Sutkhïr milk dirt Qïrjis dirty malachite Examples of other Western Yugur children's names are:
Children's names Western Yugur name Meaning Bobo ? Examples of other Western Yugur men's names are:
Men's names Western Yugur name Meaning Pathïr hero Mïsïr sharp (of a knife) Khartaq (perhaps a Tibetan name) Sanïshkap (perhaps a Tibetan name) Qasqaji ? Asïrma-Wanda Monk Asïrma Qutuçïn-Axka Monk Qutuçïn The second elements in the names Asïrma-Wanda and Qutuçïn-Axka are in fact titles: pantï novice, monk, Buddhist disciple, so actually Monk Asïrma, and axka monk, so Monk Qutuçïn. Asïrma and Qutuçïn are Yugur toponyms.
Most of the Western Yugur names from the older sources are of Tibetan buddhist origin which, in their turn, derive from Indian examples. The Tibetan names usually consist of two elements, each containing two syllables. The meaning is an accumulation of propitious terms.
Tibetan men's names Western Yugur name Tibetan name Meaning Ksershçap Serin gser-skyabs ts'e-ring gold-protection life-long Sertan Tonja ts'e-brtan don-'grub life-steady all-accomplishing The name Ts'e-ring occurs both as a men's and as a women's name in Tibetan.
Examples of Western Yugur women's names of Tibetan origin are:
Tibetan women's names Western Yugur name Tibetan name Meaning Rïnjin rin-chen precious, jewel Serçighyan gser-gyi gyang golden happiness
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