~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Now we move on to the two main characters in the Nativity story. Both, according to the Christian bible, chosen by God to be the parents of Jesus.
Mary's story begins with the Immaculate Conception. On December 8th every year, Spain celebrates El dia de la Immaculada, in honour of the Virgin Mary. La Immaculada is also the Patron saint of Seville, and many events take place in the city on the 8th. Unsurprisingly, Immaculada is therefore found as a feminine name in Spain, while Immacolata is found in Italy, Imaculada in Portugal, and the Latinised form, Immaculata, in various other Catholic countries.
We can also find, the related name, Concepcion used as a feminine name in Spain, with Concha and Conchita as diminutives. The Latinised form is Concepta, and the Italians use Concetta for girls, and Concetto for boys.
The etymology of Mary is still very much under debate. Options range from "bitter." "wished for child," "rebellious," or from the Egyptian word for "beloved." The Hebrew form of the name is Miryam, which became Mariam and Maria in Greek and Latin. Her name has been used in many forms and modified in hundreds of countries: Maryam (Arabic), Miren (Basque), Marja, Marjo (Finnish), Marie (French), Mairi, Mhairi, Maire, Maura (Irish), Marianna (Italian), Moirrey (Manx), Marya (Russian), Moira, Moyra (Scottish), Marija, Mirjam, Mirjana (Slavic), Meryem (Turkish), Mair, Mairwen, Mari (Welsh).
There are hundreds of Marian names, but let's look to the idea of her virginal aspect, as that is a focus in the Nativity. Virginia was coined as a name for Elizabeth I, in connection with the Latin Virgo "maiden, virgin." The French form is Virginie. The consellation Virgo is known as العذرا (al-adhra) "the maiden" in Arabic which became rendered as the name Alundra.
The Greek παρθενος (parthenos) "maiden, virgin" was used as an epithet for Athena, Artemis and Hera, in the form Parthenia, while Parthenope was a mythological princess of Samos.
Rhian is a Welsh name derived from rhiain "maiden." It is also found in the very appropriate Rhianwen (rhiain "maiden" + gwyn "blessed, fair"), Rhiangar (rhiain "maiden" + car "love"), Rhianedd and Rhianna. The Cornish equivalent is moren which is found in the names Morwenna and Morenwyn, cognate with Rhianwen.
Joseph is the Anglicised form the Hebrew Yosef, via the Greek and Latin Ioseph. Its meaning is derived from יוסף (yosef) "he will add," the third person future form of להוסיף (le'hosif) "to add." Joseph also has many international forms: Yusef, Yousef (Arabic), Hovsep (Armenian), Joseba (Basque), Yosif (Bulgarian), Josip (Croatian), Jozef (Dutch), Jooseppi (Finnish), Xose (Galician), Iosif (Greek), Jozsef (Hungarian), Seosamh (Irish), Giuseppe (Italian), Jozef (Polish), Osip (Russian), Seosaidh (Scottish), Josif (Slavic), Jose (Spanish), Yusuf (Turkish).
Its feminine forms include: Josepha, Josefa, Josephe, Josephine, Josephina, Josefina, Jozefien, Jozefina, Giuseppina, Giuseppa and Yosefa.
