Bertha is a female Germanic name , from Old High German berhta meaning "bright one". It was usually a short form of Anglo Saxon names Beorhtgifu meaning "bright gift" or Beorhtwynn meaning "bright joy".
4-520: The name occurs as a theonym , surviving as Berchta , a figure in Alpine folklore connected to the Wild Hunt , probably an epithet of * Frijjō in origin. Bertha appears as a Frankish given name from as early as the 6th century. The monothematic Bertha as a given name may, however, not originate with the theonym but rather as a short form of dithematic given names including the "bright" element. This
8-426: Is notably the case with the mother of Charlemagne , Bertrada (properly berht-rada "bright counsel") called "Bertha Broadfoot." Carolingian uses of the name Bertha , as in the case of Bertha, daughter of Charlemagne and Bertha, daughter of Lothair II , are in this tradition. In modern times, the name is associated with an unusually large example of a class of objects. Many large machines are nicknamed Bertha for
12-472: The World War I howitzer known as Big Bertha . Women named Bertha include: Theonym A theonym (from Greek theos ( Θεός ), ' god ', attached to onoma ( ὄνομα ), ' name ' ) is a proper name of a deity . Theonymy , the study of divine proper names, is a branch of onomastics , the study of the etymology, history, and use of proper names. Theonymy helps develop an understanding of
16-562: The function and societal views of particular gods and may help understand the origins of a society's language. Analysis of theonyms has been useful in understanding the connections of Indo-European languages and possibly their religion . In all languages, the analysis of the possible etymological origin of a theonym can serve as basis for theories of its historical origin. Metaphysical and mystical meanings are also discerned in theonyms, as in Kabbalah . Theonyms can also appear as all or part of
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