N is for Names

Names here are super important, in that they are though out carefully. I know my mother chose my name because she thought it was pretty. Here, names are chosen because of their meanings.

My ladylady is Tegeenesh (tie-je-nesh), or sweet. (Though I call her Dani cuz I can't get the first sound right). Tadese , my landlord, is renew. Dani's mom is Balynesh (ba-lie-nesh), or more than all. Tadese's sister, who stayed with us for a summer is Tadelech or in English good chance, whose name comes from the fact that since her family had two cows at the time of her birth she had a good chance to drink milk.

Common Ethiopian female names are Tirunesh, Birtukan, Tigist, and Zanabech or you are good, orange, good conduct, and rainy. Or rather, that she was born during the rain.

Common Ethiopian male names are Alamayu, Tesfaye and Girma or future happiness as a couple, future plan, and boy.

Or at least, those are rough translations. Many are words and situations that are summed up in a word that in English would be told in many, and Dani's had trouble translating the situations. Regardless, names are given a lot of thought here.