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Linda (given name)

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Linda
An ancient word 'lind,' which stands for a shield made of linden tree
GenderFemale
Origin
Language(s)German
Other names
Related namesLynda, Lyndal, Linde, Dietlinde, Sieglinde

Linda is a female given name, of German origin, but widespread in the English-speaking world since the end of the nineteenth century.[1] The German name Linde was originally an abbreviated form of older names such as Dietlinde and Sieglinde.[2] In the form Linda, it was used by the writer Jean Paul for a leading character in his four-volume novel Titan, published 1800–1803, and it became popular in German-speaking countries thereafter.[2]

The name-element Linde is possibly derived from the same root as the linden tree, with reference to a shield made of that wood,[2] but may have become associated with Germanic lind meaning "soft, tender", the image of the tree being used to indicate a gentle personality. Subsequent support for its appeal may have come from the Neo-Latin language (Italian, Spanish or Portuguese) word linda, which is the feminine form of lindo, meaning "beautiful, pretty, cute" (Spanish and Portuguese) and "clean" (Italian). It is also a common name in South Africa, Linda, meaning "Wait" (IsiZulu and IsiXhosa).

Among other names in use in English-speaking countries that include the -linda suffix are Melinda, Belinda, Celinda, and Rosalinda.

The name days for Linda are on February 13 (Hungary, Poland), April 15 (Finland, Germany), June 19 (Switzerland), June 20 (Sweden), June 25 (Estonia), August 21 (Latvia), September 1 (Czech Republic), September 2 (Slovakia), and September 4 (Poland)[citation needed].

In the Albanian version, Linda is a feminine name which means "birth" or "fertility". The masculine form is Lind.[3] In South African terms the name Linda means "wait" and is not gender based; similar names are Lindiwe also meaning "waited for" but often just written as Lindi in short.[clarification needed] Lindokuhle (waiting for something beautiful) and its short form Lindo are related South African-American names.

Notable people

Fictional characters

References

  1. ^ Withycombe, E. G. (1977). The Concise Dictionary of English Christian Names (third ed.). Oxford University Press.
  2. ^ a b c Drosdowski, Günther (1974). Lexicon der Vornamen (second ed.). Duden.
  3. ^ "Libri i emrave shqiptar". www.trepca.net. Retrieved 2018-06-05.
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