Need some help from Serb (or anyone who speaks a slavic language)

Bosh · October 1, 2003, 22:46

I'm trying to figure out the etymology of my last name (its Boshko surprisingly enough). The old story that I got from my family was that it probably meant barrel-maker (ie Carter). However, I don't think that's the case because it shows up as a Serbian first name, including that of historic nobility (Boshko Yugovich) which wouldn't make too much sense if it just meant barrel-maker.

The other theory that I got from my grandmother was that the Bo (or possibly the Bosh) prefix might possibly mean "God," like the Bog prefix of Bogdan, but that sounds pretty sketchy too. Also both my Russian history prof and a russian who worked for the housing people at my university said that Boshko sounded like a very Ukrainian name, despite my family coming from the Pripet Marshes in western Belorus (which isn't that far from the Ukraine I guess...).

Anyone have any ideas?

thanks!

FrustratedPoet · October 2, 2003, 05:07

The name for a barrel maker in this country is/was "Cooper". Just FYI, I have no other help to give. This is also a bump. Have a nice day.

Harovan · October 2, 2003, 05:13

It means nothing directly, but it may be derived from Bog (God) indeed, like in "Boshe moj" (Oh my God).

Ecthy · October 2, 2003, 05:18

my parents speak polish

Az · October 2, 2003, 05:18

I know that Boshka is street russian for a person's head.

Bog is the world for god in russian. bojok could be a small god. but it's boJko and not BoSHko.

the 'ko' ending definetly sounds ukrainian.

Harovan · October 2, 2003, 05:19

Car polish? Or furniture polish?

Harovan · October 2, 2003, 05:22

Quote:

Originally posted by Azazel
I know that Boshka is street russian for a person's head.

AFAIK that's written Bashka. And many non-english languages translate they letter zhe (like in zhuk) not with "j" (which might be mistaken with i-kratkoe) or "zh", but with "sh".

Bereta_Eder · October 2, 2003, 05:22

I always thought Boshko was the name of a squirell

Ecthy · October 2, 2003, 05:26

Proper polish.

Az · October 2, 2003, 05:28

Quote:

Originally posted by Sir Ralph

AFAIK that's written Bashka.

nope. It's Boshka.

Quote:

And many non-english languages translate they letter zhe (like in zhuk) not with "j" (which might be mistaken with i-kratkoe) or "zh", but with "sh".

zh would make sense, perhaps, but 'sh' is a totally different sound.

Ecthy · October 2, 2003, 05:29

zh like jungle

sh like shyte

Harovan · October 2, 2003, 05:32

Quote:

Originally posted by Azazel
nope. It's Boshka.

According to my wife (russian, but with ukrainian roots) it's bashka. It's not a real word, though, but more or less slang.

Quote:

zh would make sense, perhaps, but 'sh' is a totally different sound.

As I said, a matter of transcription. In German, for instance, the "zhuk" letter is transcripted "sh", and the "shkola" letter "sch".

Az · October 2, 2003, 05:33

and 'C' like ********er.

Az · October 2, 2003, 05:34

yay! the autocensor is ****ed!

Ecthy · October 2, 2003, 05:35

why? wouldn't that be 'k'?

Az · October 2, 2003, 05:38

Yup! Dad confirmed it. It's from Bojko, alright.

In any case, I don't think it has anything to do with barrels (botchka)

Harovan · October 2, 2003, 05:38

I think it could be solved by a yugoslavian. Perhaps La Russo is around?

Az · October 2, 2003, 05:41

nononononono!

It's a Belorussian Ukrainian family name, alright.

Ecthy · October 2, 2003, 05:41

What's the etymology of my last name then?

Harovan · October 2, 2003, 05:44

I take your last name is not "Ecthelion" (which means "The White City" in middleearthish, I believe).

Ecthy · October 2, 2003, 05:47

the white city is Minas Tirith

your take is right tho

and Azazazel, is Sirotnikov Ukrainian too?

Az · October 2, 2003, 05:52

I believe he has some 'white' blood in him.

Sirota is 'orphan'. why was one of his ancestors given with his name? I don't know.

My family name is way cooler. I am an ancient Israelite priest, or a Khazar priest, at the very least. That's tracing it 1500-2500 years back, baby!

Ecthy · October 2, 2003, 05:54

Kogan?

my name is "bay" in Viking

FrustratedPoet · October 2, 2003, 05:54

I feel so proud for rescuing this thread from the wasteland of page two. Fly my pretty fly!

Harovan · October 2, 2003, 05:58

Quote:

Originally posted by Azazel
Sirota is 'orphan'. why was one of his ancestors given with his name? I don't know.

Orphanages sometimes named foundlings this way in the past. Might explain it.

Az · October 2, 2003, 06:04

Quote:

Originally posted by Ecthelion
Kogan?

my name is "bay" in Viking

Kohen(priest)-> Kogen -> Kogan
Ancestors@work :

Your ancestors probably lived in a village on a shore of a bay.

Az · October 2, 2003, 06:10

Quote:

Originally posted by Sir Ralph

Orphanages sometimes named foundlings this way in the past. Might explain it.

Yep. That's probably it.

Ecthy · October 2, 2003, 06:16

But he says they came there from Germany.... many Jews in Russia had translated their names from German... I wonder what their original name was... Waisenkind?

Az · October 2, 2003, 06:20

Could be that most of his family did come from Germany but his family name ancestor ( the Father's fathers' father's father's... father. ) didn't.

Ecthy · October 2, 2003, 06:26

oh, alright. am I forgiven?