Sobre el nombre medieval Annaia [The medieval personal name Annai]

Abstract

The personal name Annaia, common in Castile and in Leon during the Middle Ages, has traditionally been associated with the Basque term anaya, meaning ‘brother’. However, the name itself is relatively scarce in early texts from Basque speaking areas, appearing almost exclusively further West, in areas where there is little evidence of Basque immigration. What is more, it surfaces repeatedly in contexts generally reserved for names which seem to have a semitic origin. In the light of such anomalies we suggest that alternative etymologies ought to be considered.