Area of Interest: Traditional knowledge
Skills: Listening, Reading, Speaking, and Writing
Competences: Social competence
Age Bracket: 16 – 18
Time Commitment: 30 – 60 minutes
Affordability:
Materials:
– Writing materials (in a group – A4 sheet and writing material for each; individually – notes or a sheet if the teacher wants to collect them)
– Name day and birthday pattern plaid paper and coloured pencils or markers
– Access to the internet (individual option)
– 4 added examples
– Latvian, Latgalian language resources:
· Siliņš, K. Latviešu personvārdu vārdnīca. Rīga: Zinātne, 1990.
· Mežs, I. Latviešu uzvārdi arhīvu materiālos. I – Latgale, II, III – Kurzeme, Zemgale, Sēlija. Rīga: LVA, 2017.–2019.
· Vārdadienas un dzimšanas dienas kvadrāts: sk. Šuplinska, I., Justs, M. Ondrupinis roksti. Rēzekne, RA, 2012.
· Šuplinska, I. (sak.) Susātivs. Myusu dīnu latgalīšu dzejis antologeja. Rēzekne, LSC, 2008. 21., 96.lpp.
· A database of personal names: https://personvardi.pmlp.gov.lv/
· A database of surnames: https://uzvardi.lv/
Expert recommendations:
To create a holistic picture of the meaning, role and potential spiritual energy of a word through its etymology, pattern and statistics, which the bearer may or may not be aware of.
The etymology and distribution of surnames allow us to begin to search for answers about identity, roots. The aim is to explore the etymology of one’s own name and surname, to put oneself in the shoes of a researcher. Digital resources or tools used.
Step 1: Work with available databases and other research resources
The teacher offers to find out the etymology of the pupil’s first and last name, to find statistics on the prevalence of the use of first and last names. Works individually, using available resources, mainly K. Siliņš and I. Meža dictionary. For other languages, find etymological and statistical explanations of personal names in their own language.
Step 2: Pays attention to the language of etymology of first and last names, looks for common links
Teacher asks for comments on the etymology of the first/last name. It is very rare to find words/ surnames that originate from Latvian or Latgalian. Work on the etymology of a personal name shows what languages, nationalities, cultures were present in each homeland. You can have a conversation about values and the family tree.
Step 3: form a word-day square according to a given pattern
- Find (remember) the date of the name day (e.g. 22.05).
- Draw a square of the name day in the box on the page, this is obtained by multiplying 1 to 9 horizontally and vertically. Sample attached.
- In the square, colour in the digits of the date of the name day: all digits and those whose second component is one of the digits of the name day.
- Obtain an ornament whose symbolism can be explained in Latin characters.
- It is understood as the spiritual energy of the name, the potential given as a set of qualities which the bearer of the name can develop and strengthen his or her spirit power.
- The ornament obtained in the Design and Technology lesson can be created as a knitting, crochet, graphic image, etc., used as a human talisman.
Step 4: Make a word-day square according to a given pattern.
The square is identical to the square of the word day, but the multiplication square is four times larger: horizontally from 1 to 9 and from 9 to 1, and vertically (sample attached). The year of birth is also included in the birthday square. The rest is identical.
Sep 5: Conclusion
Each pupil has a name card containing: 1) etymology, 2) statistics on prevalence, 3) a pattern marking the relationship of name and birthday to values.
