Noa-name
A noa-name is a word that replaces a
noa
, which is the antonym of tapu (from which derives the word taboo) and serves to lift the tapu from a person or object.
A noa-name is sometimes described as a euphemism,[1] though the meaning is more specific; a noa-name is a non-taboo synonym used to avoid bad luck,[1] and replaces a name considered dangerous.[2] The noa-name may be innocuous or flattering, or it may be more accusatory.[3]
Examples
- In the Germanic languages, the word for 'bear' was replaced with a noa-name meaning 'brown', the Proto-Germanic *berô, with descendants including Swedish björn, English bear, German Bär and Dutch beer.[3]
- In Finnish, there are several noa-names for karhu (bear), used instead of calling the animal by its name and inadvertently attracting its attention. The word karhu itself is a noa-name, to avoid using the original (and now relatively uncommon) words otso or ohto. (See Finnish mythology.)
- In Swedish, the word ulv ('wolf') was replaced by varg ('stranger').), were known as nisse, 'dear little relatives'.
- In Irish folklore, Fairies are referred to as 'the little people' or 'the good people'.
- In English, the Mr. Scratch') to avoid attracting his attention through his name.
- In Greek legend, the Erinyes (the Furies, the spirits of revenge) were commonly known as the Eumenides ('the benevolent ones').[4] Additionally, Hades, god of the underworld, was usually referred to with euphemisms like Ploútōn ('the wealthy one') in order to avoid attracting his attention.
- In Jewish culture, it is forbidden to speak the name of God (represented as HaShem, 'the Name', is used instead.
- To avoid the negative connotations of the left side and left-handedness, most Romance languages created noa-names to avoid Latin sinister: see French gauche, Spanish izquierdo, Romanian stângă. Also Greek created ἀριστερός (aristeros), a derivation from ἄριστος (aristos, "best") to avoid λαιός (laios).[5]
See also
- Trobriandterm that translates as 'the truth we all know but agree not to talk about'
- Avoidance speech, a sociolinguistic phenomenon found in some aboriginal languages
- The evil wizard Lord Voldemort, typically referred to in the Harry Potter series as "He Who Must Not Be Named" or "You-Know-Who"
- The name of the William Shakespeare play Macbeth is, by longstanding theatrical custom, not to be mentioned in order to avoid bad luck; reference is instead made, for instance, to "the Scottish play"
- Apotropaic namesare negative words applied to ward off evil.
- Heiti
- Kenning
References
- ^ a b Noaord at glosbe.com (Swedish)
- ^ Noaord at SAOB (Swedish)
- ^ ISBN 978-91-47-09625-1.
- ^ Suda. Ἄλλα δ' ἀλλαχοῦ καλά· παρόσον τὰς Εὐμενίδας ἄλλοι ἄλλως καλοῦσιν. ἄλλα οὖν ὀνόματα παρ' ἄλλοις καλὰ νομίζονται, παρ' ἡμῖν δὲ ταῦτα, τὸ ὀνομάζειν αὐτὰς Εὐμενίδας κατ' εὐφημισμόν, τὰς Ἐριννύας. [Inasmuch as different men call the Eumenides by different names. So other names are judged good by other people, but we prefer to call them Eumenides [Favoring Ones] by euphemism instead of Erinnyes [Furies].]
- S2CID 3421618.
the words for left, usually never positively biased, were turned into euphemisms in three language groups (Scandinavian, Greek, and Avestan).