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[Opinions] Re: Ilya, and some other Russian names
I love Russian names, too. Russian names just seem to extra spice, like Russian music. My ear can usually recognise music done by Russian composers just because of they style in which they were written.I must say that it is nice to find someone else who appreciates Olga as much as I do. :) My favourite Olga-combo for the last two years has been Olga Violet Lavinia (though I went through an Olga Violet Christabel stage for a while). My favourite pet form is Olishka, though I also love Olya. Thankfully, in Russian, hypocoristics (which is probably the more correct term for the names we're labelling as 'nicknames') aren't exclusive. It's normal for one to have many hypocoristics, so little Olga could be Olishka, Olya, Olenka, etc. There's a saying in Russia that the more nicknames you have, the more loved you are. :)Alexei is very nice, and the pet form Alyosha is so precious.Maria, of course, is a favourite of mine. Of OTMA, Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaievna has always been my favourite, and when I think of this name, Maria's saucer eyes always come to mind. Of her sisters, she was considered to be the most kind and thoughtful. Once when she was a little girl, she was caught by her mother stealing a couple of cookies, and the Czarina thought she should go to bed without any dinner as punishment. Her father, however, said, 'I was always afraid of the wings growing. I am glad to see she is only a human child.'So, while Maria may be bland and boring to others. I associate it with all those amiable, lovable qualities that were so oft written of the grand duchess. Mashka is a cute pet name, but then I'm biased. :) I also like Masha and Marushya.I don't really like Modest for actual usage, but Mussorgsky has a special place in my heart, and for that association alone, Modest is near and dear.Lev is a wonderful name, but I like the Hebrew pronunciation more than the Russian one, and it has great meanings in both languages.Aleksandr with Sasha as a pet name is so handsome. Sasha sounds so handsomely masculine.Ilya is great. Short, simple, but possessing a great strength.Tatiana is a beautiful name. Very regal and commanding. It has a kind of respectable aloofness about it. It's a name to respect, that's for sure.A lot of the names you've listed are names of my beloved Romanovs who I've fangirled since childhood. (It all started when I watched the Ingrid Bergman version of Anastasia at age eight.) So, when ever I see Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia, and Alexei, I associate the names with the good qualities of their namesakes.PhotobucketHowever, if you do contemplate Anastasia some more, keep in mind that Anya is not a hypocoristic (despite what the cartoon Anastasia may say ;)). Anya is a pet form of Anna. Unfortunately, I don't personally find any of the pet names of Anastasia attractive.Since you're into Russian names, would you be interested in Irina (Ira, Irishka, Irinka) or Kseniya / Ksenia (Zenoushka)? Or even Nina so you can get the pet name Ninotchka. XD Sorry, had a Garbo moment. I better stop before I start quoting the movie.

This message was edited 6/18/2008, 10:52 PM

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