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Perhaps someone, Greek or Barbarian, can help me out hither.
What is the origin of the name Basileus? Well, it depends on who you ask. I know Westerners want to ascribe everything that is un-intelligible as “it’s all Greek to me,” but being an educated man, and one who does not buy into the philosophy of “it’s all Greek to me,” I will give my analysis.
The name “Basileus,” or “Basil,” or “Vasilis,” or “Vasil,” etc, are all variants of each other. The name “Basileus” is argued by some to be a “Greek name.” I’m suspect of this claim.
The name Basileus means King or sovereign or royal, etc. It is argued that Vasil, the Macedonian word for Basil, comes from the Greek word, Basileus. However, I fail to see the logic in this. How can a borrowed, foreign, transliterated word, have intrinsic meaning in the Macedonian tongue? And how can the same name have the same (or very similar at the least) meaning in separate languages?
Certain names that are Greek in origin, or any origin, when transliterated into another language, have no inherit meaning in that new language. So, for example, the Greek word Georgios, earth worker, has no meaning in English. George in English is a borrowed word. Much like Paul, Andrew, and John—they’re all borrowed from other languages.
In the case of Macedonia, for example, the Greek word Petros, rock, has no inherit meaning of Petar in Macedonian. A translation of the name Petros into Macedonian would be Camin.
In the case of Basileus, however, it is different. Vasil, or Basil, has inherit meaning. "Sil" in Macedonian means powerful one or mighty one, ruling over others. I find it odd how Basil, if indeed a transliteration of the Greek Basileus, can have inherit meaning in Macedonian.
I equally find it odd how the etymology of the Greek Basileus is uncertain. Does anyone, any Greek, know what the etymology of Basileus is? How does “va-sil-eus” mean King or powerful one, or royal in Greek? In Macedonian “va-sil” means ruling over others, powerful, mighty.
Wikipedia has this:
The etymology of basileus is unclear. The Mycenaean form was gwasileus (��������, qa-si-re-u), denoting some sort of court official or local chieftain, but not an actual king. Most linguists assume that it is a non-Greek word that was adopted by Bronze Age Greeks from a preexisting linguistic substrate of the Eastern Mediterranean. Schindler (1976) argues for an inner-Greek innovation of the -eus inflection type from Indo-European material rather than a "Mediterranean" loan.
Babynames.com has this:
The boy's name Basil \b(a)-sil\ is pronounced BAZ-el. It is of Greek origin, and its meaning is "royal, kingly". From the Greek name Basileios, derived from "basileus", meaning "king". Saint Basil (fourth century) of Caesarea was called "the Great" and regarded as one of the Fathers of the Eastern Church. Also the name of several early saints martyred in the East. Brought to England by the Crusaders, having been common in the eastern Mediterranean. More often used in Britain and Europe than in the US. Also the name of a common herb. In Arabic, the name means "brave".British actor Basil Rathbone played Sherlock Holmes in 14 films in the 1940s. Basile is French; Basilius is German; Basilio is Italian and Spanish.
Notice the propaganda in babynames.com; "it is of Greek origin." How can this be, when most experts argue that it is not of Greek origin? It must have been "Greek" to the people at that website.
The fundamental problem is that when adepts start with an a prior assumption that "Slavs" came to the Balkans in the 6th century, they automatically preclude the possibility that any word or name maybe Macedonian in etymology and not Greek or Latin.
What is the origin of the name Basileus? Well, it depends on who you ask. I know Westerners want to ascribe everything that is un-intelligible as “it’s all Greek to me,” but being an educated man, and one who does not buy into the philosophy of “it’s all Greek to me,” I will give my analysis.
The name “Basileus,” or “Basil,” or “Vasilis,” or “Vasil,” etc, are all variants of each other. The name “Basileus” is argued by some to be a “Greek name.” I’m suspect of this claim.
The name Basileus means King or sovereign or royal, etc. It is argued that Vasil, the Macedonian word for Basil, comes from the Greek word, Basileus. However, I fail to see the logic in this. How can a borrowed, foreign, transliterated word, have intrinsic meaning in the Macedonian tongue? And how can the same name have the same (or very similar at the least) meaning in separate languages?
Certain names that are Greek in origin, or any origin, when transliterated into another language, have no inherit meaning in that new language. So, for example, the Greek word Georgios, earth worker, has no meaning in English. George in English is a borrowed word. Much like Paul, Andrew, and John—they’re all borrowed from other languages.
In the case of Macedonia, for example, the Greek word Petros, rock, has no inherit meaning of Petar in Macedonian. A translation of the name Petros into Macedonian would be Camin.
In the case of Basileus, however, it is different. Vasil, or Basil, has inherit meaning. "Sil" in Macedonian means powerful one or mighty one, ruling over others. I find it odd how Basil, if indeed a transliteration of the Greek Basileus, can have inherit meaning in Macedonian.
I equally find it odd how the etymology of the Greek Basileus is uncertain. Does anyone, any Greek, know what the etymology of Basileus is? How does “va-sil-eus” mean King or powerful one, or royal in Greek? In Macedonian “va-sil” means ruling over others, powerful, mighty.
Wikipedia has this:
The etymology of basileus is unclear. The Mycenaean form was gwasileus (��������, qa-si-re-u), denoting some sort of court official or local chieftain, but not an actual king. Most linguists assume that it is a non-Greek word that was adopted by Bronze Age Greeks from a preexisting linguistic substrate of the Eastern Mediterranean. Schindler (1976) argues for an inner-Greek innovation of the -eus inflection type from Indo-European material rather than a "Mediterranean" loan.
Babynames.com has this:
The boy's name Basil \b(a)-sil\ is pronounced BAZ-el. It is of Greek origin, and its meaning is "royal, kingly". From the Greek name Basileios, derived from "basileus", meaning "king". Saint Basil (fourth century) of Caesarea was called "the Great" and regarded as one of the Fathers of the Eastern Church. Also the name of several early saints martyred in the East. Brought to England by the Crusaders, having been common in the eastern Mediterranean. More often used in Britain and Europe than in the US. Also the name of a common herb. In Arabic, the name means "brave".British actor Basil Rathbone played Sherlock Holmes in 14 films in the 1940s. Basile is French; Basilius is German; Basilio is Italian and Spanish.
Notice the propaganda in babynames.com; "it is of Greek origin." How can this be, when most experts argue that it is not of Greek origin? It must have been "Greek" to the people at that website.
The fundamental problem is that when adepts start with an a prior assumption that "Slavs" came to the Balkans in the 6th century, they automatically preclude the possibility that any word or name maybe Macedonian in etymology and not Greek or Latin.
) simply means king.
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