Cyprus-Forum.com

[mem101]

Hello everyone. I'm from Louroujina and I'm interested in finding out if anyone on this site knows the meanings or stories behind either of the following nicknames: Misigigo and Gingi. Some of the stories are quite funny, like the story where apparently a man was running/hiding from the local police. When twilight came someone saw a man crouching in the bushes, his two eyes shining brightly like a cat. Since then, he and all his descendents have born the name "Gato" (cat). I got this information from http://www.familiesofluricina.moonfruit.com which has an extensive list of nicknames with some meanings. Another one I'm interested in is Gatsura which the site creater thinks means "burnt to ashes." Can anyone shed some light on these names? Or share some interesting nickname meanings/stories of your own?

[ismailveli]

The term 'Gatsura' was also used when someone was burning wheat, so therfore if someone burned the wheatseeds constantly then it made sense for people to refer to it as "Gatsuronida" (burning them) In fact the gentleman in question was my great great grandfather Mehmet Mustafa 'Gatsura'. (fathers maternal family) As for the story about the nickname 'Gato', before that the family were known as the 'Buttari', who in turned carried the name 'Siliono' (Kirlangic). The Siliono family were my fathers paternal family. I hope this helps. Any other information or help on the nicknames would be most welcome.

[mem101]

Mehmet Mustafa Gatsura was also my Great Great Grandfather (father's maternal family, same as you). Your website is brilliant by the way, you've done a great thing in gathering all that information so that future generations can retain some knowledge of our heritage. Mehmet Ibrahim 'Misigigo' (aka 'Yapici') was my paternal grandfather but the only thing my father tells me about the name 'Misigigo' is that it means nothing (but also that his dad didn't like people referring to him by it). I think my paternal grandfather's family was a relatively small one compared with some of the other, more famous names, and I unfortunately know nothing about their history.

[bill cobbett]

Misigigo... doesn't this relate to someone who is is deficient in the brain dept?... literally "left unfinished"?... and there is deffo one of them in Luri...Luciciri... that dusty village.

[mem101]

If that's true no wonder my grandfather didn't like it! Is it Greek? I asked a Greek friend and he said he's never heard of the word.

[bill cobbett]

If that's, true no wonder my granddather didn't like it! Is it Greek? I asked a Greek friend and he said he's never heard of the word.

Well, it's pretty close to the kibraika word which is pronounced something like miso-ogee. Half-done.

[ismailveli]

Thanks Mem. There is offcourse an enormous amount that we still need to learn about our village. I am lucky enough to have parents that enjoy talking about the past family history. Its amazing how many peoples names they remember. It gave me a foundation to start building the village's family trees. Not sure about misigigo, but Bills interpretation sounds good.

[kimon07]

If that's, true no wonder my granddather didn't like it! Is it Greek? I asked a Greek friend and he said he's never heard of the word.

Well, it's pretty close to the kibraika word which is pronounced something like miso-ogee.....

miso-dochi.

[bill cobbett]

If that's, true no wonder my granddather didn't like it! Is it Greek? I asked a Greek friend and he said he's never heard of the word.

Well, it's pretty close to the kibraika word which is pronounced something like miso-ogee.....

miso-dochi.

Yes, maybe for you sophisticated and educated city-dwellers mate... but for us uneducated, rough of hand ones with roots in the villages of the CY past, well we use the 25th letter of the alphabet... J (or soft G)

[kimon07]

If that's, true no wonder my granddather didn't like it! Is it Greek? I asked a Greek friend and he said he's never heard of the word.

Well, it's pretty close to the kibraika word which is pronounced something like miso-ogee.....

miso-dochi.

Yes, maybe for you sophisticated and educated city-dwellers mate... but for us uneducated, rough of hand ones with roots in the villages of the CY past.....