Unmarked Patronymic Precedent

September 2007 LoAR Cover Letter

http://heraldry.sca.org/loar/2007/09/07-09cl.html

‍From Pelican: Unmarked Patronymics in Russian Names

The submission of the name Mariia Kotok, registered on this month's LoAR, raised the question of whether unmarked patronymics were used in Russian names. Precedent set in October 2002 forbids the registration of unmarked patronymics in Russian names:

• Bola is a Russian masculine given name. Lacking evidence that Russian used unmarked patronymic bynames, we have changed this to the patronymic form Bolin in order to register this name. [Gorm Bolin, 10/2002, A-Middle]

An informal letter from Paul Wickenden of Thanet accompanied the submission and argued that the name used to document Kotok (Kulik Kotok) does, in fact, show an unmarked patronymic, and that unmarked patronymics can be found in Russian manuscripts. However, no examples beyond the one cited were provided in this letter, and this example is problematic because it is possible that the byname, which derives from name meaning "cat", can be interpreted as a descriptive byname. We charged the College with finding additional evidence of unmarked patronymics in Russian. Sufficient evidence was found to suggest that unmarked patronymics are an extremely rare, but occasionally found pattern in Russian names.

First is the attestation of experts in Russian names for such a pattern. Paul Wickenden's statement is noted above. In addition, Unbegaun, Russian Surnames, p 2, notes "The use of a non-modified individual name as surname is quite exceptional", and on p 33, "In most cases such names are of Ukrainian or White Russian origin." This statement suggests a known, but extremely rare practice. While it does not explicitly date this practice to our period, in combination with Wickenden's statement, it is strongly suggestive.

However, proof by assertion, even by respected experts is insufficient without actual examples of a naming pattern. So, what did the commenters find? Fause Lozenge provided several possible examples:

• They [unmarked patronyms] were definitely used in the East Slavic-speaking world: Unbegaun (274) has a few Ukrainian examples, and in the preceding few pages he has many examples of Ukrainian asyndetic patronymics from diminutives. He also has (307-8) some examples of Belarusian asyndetic patronymics.
• Paul's dictionary has quite a few names that could be examples. For the masc. name <Spara>, for instance, the citation is <Ivan Spara> 1563. Here are some others, in each case listed under the second element as a masc. name:
  • Fedor Spiachei 1524
  • Andrei Spudinka 1560
  • Senka Steban 1495
  • Fedot Striapko 1462
  • Ivan Struga 1579
  • Vasiuk Sused 1500
  • Fedor Akhmyl 1332
  • Mikifor Aksak ~1495
  • Ivan Baba 1424
  • Shvarn Boldyzh' 1151
• How many are actually patronymic is another question; some might be descriptive epithets that Paul (or his sources) didn't recognize as such, and I suppose that we might even have some double forenames here."

This list supports the statement by the experts that unmarked patronymics are found but are rare. Given this, we feel that it is reasonable to allow the registration of unmarked patronymics in Russian names. However, it should be noted that this practice is rare at best, and should be discouraged.

See also the item registered in that same letter:

http://heraldry.sca.org/loar/2007/09/07-09lar.html

Marija Kotok. Name change from Mariia Kotova.

Precedent set in October 2002 forbade the registration of unmarked patronymics in Russian names:

• Bola is a Russian masculine given name. Lacking evidence that Russian used unmarked patronymic bynames, we have changed this to the patronymic form Bolin in order to register this name. [Gorm Bolin, 10/2002, A-Middle]

This appeal raised the issue of whether there is evidence for unmarked patronymic bynames in Russian. The submitter and commenters provided examples that could be interpreted as unmarked patronymics in Russian names. Furthermore, they found statements from authorities on Russian names supporting unmarked patronymics as a rare practice in Russian names. The evidence presented is sufficient to allow unmarked patronymics in Russian names as a rare, but registerable practice. Therefore, this name is registerable. For more details on the information provided for this practice, see this month's Cover Letter.

This was originally pended on the February 2007 LoAR.

Her old name, Mariia Kotova, is released.