Matryoshka questions

[Kyriakos]

I have two questions about the Russian characteristic doll-set known as the Matryoshka:

1) I read that their name is derived from the girl name "Matriona", but does it mean anything specific? Also, does Matriona mean something?

2) I read that the smallest of the dolls (the one which contains nothing, and is homogenous and solid) is termed "the seed". Is that true? And if not, what is the more usual term for it?

Thanks in advance... The wiki article did not mention this info, and i may be needing it for a new short story

 

[strijder20]

1) It's a typical name for female farmers. Matrioshkas originally depicted farmer girls.

The wiki article did not mention this info, and i may be needing it for a new short story

It did.

 

[Kyriakos]

Hm, what is the equivalent name in English or other languages, of "Matriona", and if there isn't one, what etymology does it have in Russian? (you only mentioned it was a usual female name for a farmer, but that was not my question and indeed i had already read that)

Also you did not say if Matryoshka is a change from Matriona that has a specific significance linguistically (ie it means something specific). So you did not answer any of the two parts of the first question either :/ Thanks for your post though (this is not sarcasm, btw)

 

[red_elk]

Matryoshka is a diminutive form of the name Matriona, which is very rarely used now.
The name is derived from the word "Matrona", which means respectable woman.

See also
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matrona_of_Barcelona
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matrona_of_Chios

 

[Takhisis]

We use 'Mamuschka' here in South Amerika as well.

 

[Kyriakos]

Here the dolls are mostly called by the generic 'Babushka' (with the meaning of very old lady-grandmother), although since the late 90s the correct term Matryoshka also is in use.

Thanks a lot

(great links too, Red Elk)

 

[Takhisis]

Then I'd guess something to do with M-t-r for the origin of the name (madre, mater, miteras, mother, mathair, etc. across European languages).

 

[AlpsStranger]

"Mother" was my first guess. I mean it's literally a woman with little women inside her who, in turn, have little women inside them.

Not subtle exactly.

 

[Kyriakos]

^But one of the (original) matryoska dolls also included a boy doll that had other dolls inside him

 

[AlpsStranger]

Hrm, well, I dunno. I thought they were all women.