Namaquas. See Namaqualand.
Name (Heb. shem, dD; Gt.ovufia). On the names of persons in Oriental countries, and especially in ancient Israel, the following particulars may be noticed. (See Hauptmann, De Hehrmor. oPOfxaToSritria [Gera, 1757] ; Schwarz, De nomin. V. T. propriis [Gott. 1743].)
(1.) A name among the Hebrews was given to the male child at the time of its circumcision, but it is prob- able that previous to the introduction of that rite the name was given immediately after its birth. All Ori- ental proper names have a special significance, which is more or less obvious, and generally may be ascertained. This meaning is often alluded to or explained in the Old Testament (Gen. xxvii, 36 ; 1 Sam. xxv, 25 ; Ruth i, 20). But some have attempted to show that the ex-
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Naiuaqua Ki.u
NAME
836
NAME
planations given in the Pentateuch of the names of the ' patriarchs, etc., are not historically correct, on the ground that they are mutually inconsistent, or that they violate the analogies of the language; and refer them to a desire on the part of the writer to interweave the name signiticantly with the narrative (see Ewald, Jsr. Gesch. i, 4'20). Those of modern nations, e. g. the English an<l Germans, have also their meaning, hut it is more difticult to discover, as these languages do not preserve the roots in so pure a form as Oriental tongues. In early times they were conferred (by the mother, as Gen. iv, 1, 25; xix, 37 sq.; xxix, 32 sq.; xxx, 18, 20 sq.; XXXV, 18; 1 Sam. i, 20; iv, 21; conip. Isa. vii, 14; Odys. xviii, G; Eurip. Phmiiss. 57; yet also by the father, Gen. xvi, 15; xvii, 19; xxi, 3; Exod. ii, 22; Hosea i, 4 sq. ; see Tournefort, Voynf/e, ii, 434) sometimes in reference to remarkable circumstances preceding or at- tending the child's birth, to peculiarities of its bodily constitution, to a wish connected with its future, or as an expression of endearment; sometimes borrowed from religion, and in this case applied both as a pious remem- brancer and an omen of good. Sometimes the name had a pro[)hetic meaning (Isa. vii, 14; viii, o; Hosea i, 4, G, 'J; Matt, i, 21; Luke i, 13, GO, G3). In these classes belong many compounded in Hebrew with ?X, V, in^ (comp. Hengstenberg, Pent, i, 2G7 sq.), just as the Assyrian, Arama?an, and Phoenician names with Nebo (Nebu), Bel, Baal; the German (.iottlieb, Gott- hold, Ehrcgott, Christlieb, etc. ; and the Tyrian names, 'AarapToc, AtXaiaaTaproc, in Josephus, Apion. i, 18 (on which see Hamaker, Miscell. Phaenic. p. 213 ; Fromann, J)e. ciillu deorum ex ovoixarodtaiif illusira. [Altdorf, 1745]). For examples of the first class, see Gen. xxv, 25 sq. ; xxix, 32 sq. ; xxx, 6 sq. ; xxxv, 18; xli, 51; 1 Sam. ii, 20; iv, 21; comp. Kosenmiiller, Morgenl, i, 139, 173 ; Seetzen, in Zach's Con-espondenz, xix, 214 ; Gesen. f'o7«. i« Jes. i,303; Bohlen, 6Vnf.«. p. 292. Such names take various forms among the Shemitic nations, following in each language the name it applies to God ; e. g. Hannibal (b?3^2n) and John ("jni"') ; Abibal (ii^n-^nsj) and Abijah (n*3X); Ezrubaal (Isriil-Tr) and Azriel (^X"^tT5). See Ludolf. llistor. A'Jh. iv, 15. See Baai.im. The terms of endearment are appro- priated especially to girls, and are often taken from the names of valued animals and plants (?n'n, Kachel, a sheep; "wO, Tamar, palm-t)-ee ; TV^'Z'i., Zibia, roe; n*3:i, Zipporah, sparrorv ; tir^^jT, Kcziah, cassiii). Comp. Hartmann, Pentitt. 27G sq. On the transfer of names from animals to children, see Bochart, Ilieroz. i, 2, 43 ; Simonis Onomust. p. IG, 390 sq. At a later period, when a sufficient number of words had become pr()])er names by usage, a suitable choice was made among them, or the child took the father's name (Tobit i, 9; Luke i, 59; Josephus, yl n^ xiv, 1, 3; War, v, 13, 2; Eiiscb. //. JC. i, 13, 5), or yet oftener the grand- father's (I Sam. xxii, 9; xxiii, 6; xxx, 7; 2 Sam. viii, 17. See Eisner, 06*T>v. i, 176 sq.; ^xmonis Onomast. V. T. p. 17; comp. Eustath. Ad Iliad. 581, 4). This was the case also with the Phoenicians (see Gesen. Momnn. Phcrn. p. 100), and is still with the Egyptians {Descript. de rEf/i/pfe, xxiii, 59 S(i.), Frieslanders, and Danes. Sometimes that of a highly-esteemed kinsman was taken (comp. Luke i, Gl ; Lightfoot, /f(n: Ihbr. ad loc. ; Ko- senmiiller, Morf/eid. v, 158). In the Itoman period we meet with many persons who were named by |)rclixing JUir, 12, soil, after the Aramsean custom, to the names of their fathers; as in the N. T. JUirtholomeii; Barti- meiis, liarjesux, liitritbhai!. i\Iany of these were orig- inally only surnames, as in iMatt. xvi, 17, but by custom the personal name was entirely dn>i)pcd (as in Arab., e. g. Ibn-Sina). But some t)rientals, at the birth of a son, put off their own names, and thenceforth bear that of the child, with the prefix Abu, ./((/Ac/', e. g. Abu-Nau- 8el; comp. Arvieux, Xachr. ii, 292. According to Ge-