Bucur
Encyclopedia
Bucur is the legendary Romanian shepherd
who is said to have founded Bucharest
, giving its name to it. While the legend about the shepherd is probably apocryphal, the name of Bucureşti is quite likely derived from a person Bucur, as the suffix -eşti is used for settlements derived from personal names, usually of the owner of the land or of the founder.
There is an old small church named Biserica lui Bucur ("Bucur's Church") which the legend says that it was built by Bucur, however, this is not true, as the church appears to have been built in the first part of 18th century and in the area, the oldest archeological remains found were from second half of the 16th century.
The earliest reference to Bucur was written by the Franciscan monk Blasius Kleiner who claimed that Bucur was both a shepherd and a haiduc. Another early reference to Bucur was in An Account of the Principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia, a 1820 book published in London by the English consul in Bucharest, William Wilkinson
. The earliest reference to Bucur's Church is from a geography manual written by Iosif Gentilie in 1835.
The name is related with Romanian
bucurie ("joy"), having a cognate in Albanian
, bukur ("beautiful").
There were various other etymologies given by early scholars, including the one of Ottoman traveler Evliya Çelebi
, who said that Bucharest is named after a certain "Ebu-Kariş", from the tribe of "Beni-Kureiş". In 1781, I. Fr. Sulzer claimed that it's related to Bucuria (joy), bucuros (joyful), a bucura (to become joyful), while an early 19th century book published in Vienna assumed its name is derived from "Bukovie", a beech forest.
Shepherd
A shepherd is a person who tends, feeds or guards flocks of sheep.- Origins :Shepherding is one of the oldest occupations, beginning some 6,000 years ago in Asia Minor. Sheep were kept for their milk, meat and especially their wool...
who is said to have founded Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
, giving its name to it. While the legend about the shepherd is probably apocryphal, the name of Bucureşti is quite likely derived from a person Bucur, as the suffix -eşti is used for settlements derived from personal names, usually of the owner of the land or of the founder.
There is an old small church named Biserica lui Bucur ("Bucur's Church") which the legend says that it was built by Bucur, however, this is not true, as the church appears to have been built in the first part of 18th century and in the area, the oldest archeological remains found were from second half of the 16th century.
The earliest reference to Bucur was written by the Franciscan monk Blasius Kleiner who claimed that Bucur was both a shepherd and a haiduc. Another early reference to Bucur was in An Account of the Principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia, a 1820 book published in London by the English consul in Bucharest, William Wilkinson
William Wilkinson (diplomat)
William Wilkinson was British Consul to the principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia.He wrote a book An Account of the Principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia: With Various Political Observations Relating to Them ....
. The earliest reference to Bucur's Church is from a geography manual written by Iosif Gentilie in 1835.
The name is related with Romanian
Romanian language
Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
bucurie ("joy"), having a cognate in Albanian
Albanian language
Albanian is an Indo-European language spoken by approximately 7.6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including western Macedonia, southern Montenegro, southern Serbia and northwestern Greece...
, bukur ("beautiful").
There were various other etymologies given by early scholars, including the one of Ottoman traveler Evliya Çelebi
Evliya Çelebi
Evliya Çelebi was an Ottoman traveler who journeyed through the territory of the Ottoman Empire and neighboring lands over a period of forty years.- Life :...
, who said that Bucharest is named after a certain "Ebu-Kariş", from the tribe of "Beni-Kureiş". In 1781, I. Fr. Sulzer claimed that it's related to Bucuria (joy), bucuros (joyful), a bucura (to become joyful), while an early 19th century book published in Vienna assumed its name is derived from "Bukovie", a beech forest.