Chuvash Bible Names

Many believe Chuvash were pagan or shaman before Russian missionaries forcibly converted them into Chtistianity in 19th century. An isolated nation, the Chuvash had faded by then both culturally, socially and economically. But if you look closer at both the language and what remained of culture you'd see that conventional wisdom is only half-true. Among vocabulary relics from all three Abrahamic religions and Zoroastrism and what-not, there's this huge archive - 10000 Chuvash names collected by missionary V. K. Magnitsky. The lastest edition is titled Traditional Chuvash Names, which fair considering it is still being referred to as pagan or non-Christian, or pre-Christian names' list.

http://vk.com/doc86265565_158333676?hash=0f12bc1fa42d771acc&dl=c2517a4923ce4c3c31

The list mostly includes names which are not Turkic in essence. Among others are: Аvlej, Аvnair, Almet, Amalek, Аtam, Ahaj, Ahman, Ahram, Muşşej, Esek..

Or shall I say:
Abel, Abner, Alemeth, Amalek, Adam, Aiah, Ahiman, Ahiram, Moses, Ezekkia...

Muşşej / Massej?

  
Seems impossible? Well, look back in history and you will find Patria Onoguria or Old Great Bulgaria, a state granted to Onogurs and Kutrigurs by the Byzantine. It is documented that Byzantine missionaries helped translate the Bible into Onogur  a Chuvash-like language. Unfortunately the work disappeared with the subsequent dissolution of Patria Onoguria and Old Bulgaria. So we can speculate that early Chuvash Christian culture was brought to the Volga by Bulgarians. We can only wish there was further investigation. The research is sure to make great revelations.

Чăвашра сăмах вĕççĕн упраннă Библи ячĕсем

Муççей? Массей? çунакан тĕмме курать

Нумайăшĕ чăвашсем христианлăха 18-19 ĕмĕрсенче кăна ернĕ тесе шухăшлать. Анчах чăвашсен аслашшĕсем библипе Кутрикурпа Онокур патшалăхĕ вăхăтĕнче тĕл пулаççĕ. Висантти миссионерĕсем пулăшнипе библи пĕрремĕш хут Окур (пăлхар чăваш) чĕлхипе кун çути курма пуçлать (http://yunus.hacettepe.edu.tr/~eminey/makaleler/yilmazkbol8.pdf).

Шел, ни Кăтрисем ни Вуннисем библие çăлса хăвараймаççĕ. Ни Висанттин çул çырăвĕсенче урăх нимĕнле пĕлÿ сыхланса юлман.

Тен Христос тĕнĕн витĕмне чăннипех чăваш ячĕсенче сăнама пулать?

Чăваш аслă аслашшĕсем ĕлĕкхи ĕмĕрсенчех ытти халăхсемпе хутшăннă чухнех Христос тĕнĕнчен ятсем туяннă. "Дохристианские" тенине мĕнле тупса палăртма май пур вара?

Çак списсăкра темĕн чулĕ ят тĕрлĕ тĕнтен пăтрашăнса пĕрлешнĕ. Авлей, Авнаир, Аврел, Альмемет, Альмет, Амалек, Атам, Ахай, Ахман, Ахрам, Аюхха, Mассей, Myççей, Эсек... Магницкийĕн вунă пин ят списсăкĕнчен пиншер библи ячĕ тухать, кусенчен нихăш те вырăссем илсе килнĕ христос тĕнĕ хумĕпе килменскерсем, унчченех упранса юлнăскерсем. Нихăшне те тĕрĕксен христос е мăхаммат тĕнĕчченхи чĕлхипе ăнлантарса пама май çук.

Şĕnĕ Samanari Căvaš Şyrulăhĕ Lamran Lama

Şălkuşĕ: «Эволюция чувашской письменности».

1769-mĕš şul. Pitĕr hulince Soccinenĭjă prinatlešaşşijĕ k krammattĭkkĕ cuvašskŏvŏ jasykka jatpa pĕrremĕš hut căvaš cĕlhin krammattĭkki şapănsa tuhat'. [«Сочинения, принадлежащие к грамматике чувашского языка»]

1803-mĕš şul. Husanta Pĕcĕkşĕ Kattahhisĭs picetlense tuhat'.

 1867-mĕš şul. Şöltalăk kneke jatlăsker, halăh sămahlăhĕ urlă hyvnă ilemlĕ textsen puhhin jarămĕ kun şutine kurat'.

1872-mĕš şul. I Ja Jakkăvlĕf  retakzĭlenĕ Căvaš Acisene. Şyrăva vĕrenmelli kneke jatlăskere Husanta şapsa kălaraşşĕ.

1873-mĕš şul. Pukvar' tl'a cuvaš s prissojetinenĭjĕm russkŏi aspŭkkĭ jatpa alffavităn julaški variancĕ (25 sas palli) şapănsa tuhat'. 

1919-mĕš şul. I T Troffimăf Căvaš şyrune vĕrenmelli kĕneke kălarttarat'. 

1923-mĕš şul. Šupaškar hulince Şulpuşĕ: Căvaš şyrune vĕrenmelli kĕneke tuhat'.  

1930-mĕš şül. Şĕnĕ Jal - üsse şitĕnnisene vĕrentmelli pukvar tuhat'.

 1933-mĕš şul. Šupaškartah A T Troffimăf Căvaš Patšalăh Istattĕlsvi urlă Pukvar vĕrenmelli kĕneke kălarat'.

1989-mĕš şul. T V Arttemjĕvă, M K Volkkŏf, L P Serkejĕf  Căvaš pukvarĕ jatlă kĕnekene kun şuti kurtaraşşĕ. 

Google'šăn Căvaš texĕ - Pălhar

Google-Translate (Kukăl-Translejt) căvašla kirille şyrnă texsene vyrăsla, je serpla, je makketonla, je kasahla, je tatšăkla mar, pălharla pallat' - ku pirĕnšen ilĕrtüllĕ săvaplă ironĭ. :) Google ropăcĕ pirĕn pĕrtymarlăha ănlannăn şyhăntarat'.

Chuvash Bible Is Presented to Some

Chuvash Institute of Humanities celebrates the publication of the grand work they took part in , the Bible in Chuvash. On April 22 the book was presented to a cheering audience in the Chuvash Drama Theater.

The ceremony was dimmed by the absence of President of the Chuvash Republic Nikolay Fedorov, who supposedly felt insulted by the fact that the presentation of the sacred text in Chuvash was held controversially in Russian. His greeting speech was read by the Minister of Culture Roza Lizakova instead. The fact is especially salient for Nikolay Fedorov took great part in construction of many churches and temples in Chuvashia during his presidency.

The event has had vast coverage in Chuvash media. But its accuracy is doubtful. For instance, a pompous report of newspaper Hypar, published to website smi21.ru ran oddly and quite symbolically with an awkwardly flawed picture in which writer and translator Eva Lisina, sister of celebrated poet Gennady Aygi, and one of the most important contributors to the translation, is holding the book and as she's louring from under the brows her blinking eyes are blurred in a demonic looking image.

Missteps and oddities surrounding the publication of the Bible leave much room for improvement and hopefully in the future more copies of Chuvash Bible will be issued. While some will be able to enjoy the book others are afraid it will be unavailable to most of the Chuvash people (around 2 million, the overwhelming majority - Christian) as the mere 7000 copies of it won't go into stores but will only be gifted to some people.