Hello Grfiv,
What is "Mazen"? And why is he called that?
The formal name of the newly-elected Palestinian President' is Mahmoud
Abbas, yet he is also known as Abu Mazen. It means 'father of
Mazen,' his oldest son. "Abu Mazen" is a kunya, or honorific name,
meaning "father of Mazen.
Excerpt:
?Nobody doubts that his formal name is Mahmoud Abbas. Yet almost every
written and spoken reference to that name is followed by "also known
as" Abu Mazen.?
(. . .)
?Many Arabs have both formal names and familiar names. The prime
minister's formal name is Mahmoud Abbas.
?Abbas also has what is called in Arabic a kunya, a nickname that most
often refers specifically to one's offspring. Abbas' kunya begins with
Abu (which means "father," akin to the Aramaic abba) and ends with
Mazen, which was the name of his eldest son, who died last year.
Mohammed Sawaie, professor of Arabic at the University of Virginia,
tells me that the name suggests muzn, which can mean "white cloud" or
"water," both happy sights in an arid area. It may also call to mind
the name of an ancient Arab tribe known for its bravery, the Banu
Mazin.?
?An Arab male with a son is usually called "father of [name of first
son]," because having a male heir is a matter of great pride. (In the
same way in the West, & Son used to be in the names of family
companies; only in our time did & Daughter surface.)?
Taipei Times
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/edit/archives/2003/05/18/211074
"Abu Mazen" is, of course, a kunya, or honorific name, meaning "father
of Mazen." In many Arab communities, the most commonly used name is
the kunya, which can either derive from the name of a man's eldest son
or be traditionally associated with his own given name. Arafat himself
is often known by his kunya, Abu Amar.?
http://headheeb.blogmosis.com/archives/014881.html
?Arabic naming practices fall into seven general categories. Persons
are often named: By a kunya, an honorific name, as the father or
mother of certain persons (usually the eldest son), e.g., abu Da'ud
[the father of David], umm Salim [the mother of Salim]. Married ladies
are, as a general rule, simply called after the name of their first
son, e.g., umm Ahmad [the mother of Ahmad]. ?
http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/daud/arabic-naming/
Mahmoud Abbas is also known as Abu Mazen (Father of Mazen), in
accordance with Arab tradition in which parents are referred to as Abu
(?Father of?) or Um (?Mother of?) the first-born son.
Information & Press Library Resource Library
http://www.caabu.org/press/documents/palestinian-cabinet-april2003.html
Abbas is also called Abu Mazen. It means 'father of Mazen,' his oldest son.
http://www.gurunet.com/t1-deid-580239902-dsid-1648-curtab-1648_1-method-5
http://www.who2.com/mahmoudabbas.html
Search criteria:
"Mahmoud Abbas" "Abu Mazen" +father
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&c2coff=1&q=%22Mahmoud+Abbas%22+%22Abu+Mazen%22+%2Bfather&btnG=Search
?Abu Mazen? ?father of?
://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLD,GGLD:2004-23,GGLD:en&q=%E2%80%9CAbu+Mazen%E2%80%9D+%E2%80%9Cfather+of%E2%80%9D
Kunya ?Abu Mazen?
://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLD,GGLD:2004-23,GGLD:en&q=Kunya+%E2%80%9CAbu+Mazen%E2%80%9D
I hope this is helpful.
Best regards,
Bobbie7 |