Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2021 July 29

= July 29 =

Monya (name)
An episode of The District featured a Russian mobster character named Monya Pestov. I figured Monya was a dimutive form of some common Russian name, but web search indicates that if anything, it's a feminine name that's a variant of Monica or maybe Miriam. Is there a male Russian name that would fit this? Also, another Russian gangster in the same episode was named Dimitri Putin. This show was made between 2000 and 2004, when Vladimir Putin was president or prime minister of Russia. Coincidence? I don't think Dimitri was supposed to be related to Vladimir. Is Putin that common a surname in Russia? Thanks. 2601:648:8202:350:0:0:0:2B99 (talk) 02:53, 29 July 2021 (UTC)


 * I was going to say that Monya Pestov sounds suspiciously Bulgarian rather than Russian, but then I came across Eastern Slavic naming customs, which tells us that Monya is a Russian diminutive for Immanuil (Emmanuel). That was new to me. I can't answer the Putin part. --  Jack of Oz   [pleasantries]  07:25, 29 July 2021 (UTC)


 * In the days of the USSR, over 90% of Russian men were given one of a small number of first names (25 or so), all with a standard diminutive. Immanuil was not one of those, thus it would make the bearer stand out - not something anyone would want in those days - but not impossible. As for "Putin", it's also a fairly rare last name, but there was a lot more diversity in last names than first names (or patronymics, which are derived from first names). It could be a coincidence, or just the case of a Western writer using what he thought was a common last name, when it wasn't. Xuxl (talk) 13:38, 29 July 2021 (UTC)

Thanks all, this was interesting. The episode was film and presumably set in the early 2000s, and Monya in the episode was a middle aged guy, so probably born during the Stalin era. A good time to not want attention. 2601:648:8202:350:0:0:0:2B99 (talk) 08:19, 30 July 2021 (UTC)


 * Моня can also be a diminutive for Моисей (Мойше) 'Moses/Moishe', Соломон 'Solomon' (the well-known chanson (blatnyak?) song Скрипач Моня, for example, is about the Rostov violinist Соломон Телесин) and Симон 'Simon' (as well as a host of (Greek-derived) names people were last called in the 1700's.) I'd say the first two are most likely. None of these are regular "Russian"-Russian names (so not wanting attention can't be it.) The writers knew what they were doing (or maybe not.) Aecho6Ee (talk) 10:38, 30 July 2021 (UTC)


 * Interesting, thanks. Mikhail Moiseyevich Botvinnik was a famous chess player, corroborating Moishe, though Botvinnik was born in 1911 in the pre-Soviet era.  I guess it's also possible that the TV writers didn't distinguish between Russian and Bulgarian.  I have no idea whether Russian gangsters made such a distinction. 2601:648:8202:350:0:0:0:2B99 (talk) 18:33, 30 July 2021 (UTC)


 * "corroborating..." I don't see how exactly it does (or else, what)... Note that Moiseyevich is the patronymic ("of Moisei.") Pestov can be a Russian surname alright Aecho6Ee (talk) 20:24, 30 July 2021 (UTC)

Translations for Mahmud Hasan Deobandi
What do Jahd al-Muqil and Ahsan al-Qura mean? - Aussie Article Writer (talk) 11:25, 29 July 2021 (UTC)


 * The actual terms in Arabic are: جھد المقل and احسن القری ─ The Aafī   (talk)|undefined  11:31, 29 July 2021 (UTC)
 * This is resolved. ─ The Aafī   (talk)|undefined  15:45, 29 July 2021 (UTC)
 * No it isn't. —Tamfang (talk) 02:29, 4 August 2021 (UTC)