Personal name as the characteristic profile in the living conception of the southern Altaians

According to the mythological and religious outlook of the Altaians an individual is closely connected with the nature. Such ecological and cultural behaviour is distinguished by this concept. The personal name binds the individual and nature into single community. The name plays a role of binding element in the cross correlation "man - nature". Through the personal name the man has received a certain wishes for long and happy life, eventually parents endevaour to choose the only proper name for their children which should give them the fortune. The Altaians believe that such descriptors like as the temper, the state of health, success in business and life interval depend on the individual name. There are a common usage (official and private) and the custom of the names' avoidance in the practice of the Altaians' names. The custom of the names' avoidance is a consequence of the colloquial interdiction addressed to the names. The colloquial interdiction addressed to the names is connected with the practice of the forbidden names of living relatives and the sacralization of an essence and memory of the departed relatives. The forbidden names and secret but true names in private life are usually replaced by the substituted names. The colloquial interdiction comes into force with the crossing the liminal space by the woman (as a rule it is a door at paternal home). In the contemporary living conception of the Altaians the practice of the colloquial interdiction addressed to the male names leads to refusal from direct mentioning of male relatives' names by the woman. In the pre-revolutionary period the practice of interdiction addressed to the names in the area of husband's relatives was more regulated than in its contemporary status. This interdiction was also applied to the female dress and behaviour which differed on modesty, easy step in presence of husband's relatives. Another type of the custom of the names' avoidance is connected with popular believe in the ability of ghosts and spirits to take away man's soul. But man's true name is replaced by alternative name. At the present time from juridical point of view the Altaians' names represent social authorization of the individuals. The personal name is represented by combination of three nominal words. They are private name, patronymic (name) and family name (after father's or mother's name). The personal name is written in the birth-certificate in accordance with the unified form of official designation which adopted at the Family Code of Russia. Associative line of the contemporary names of the Altaians' is represented by the different names as rare names, old-fashioned names, names which are considered to be no longer in use as well as recently contrived and so called fashionable names.

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