Harkavy is a Jewish surname. Variants in Russian language include Garkavy/Garkavyi (ru:Гаркавый), ru:Гарькавый) and Gorkavy (ru:Горькавый). The Dictionary of American Family Names suggests that the surname is derived from the Belarusian word 'harkavyj' for a person who pronounces uvular R (see wikt:burr, Etymology 2) instead of voiced alveolar trill R (thus hinting at Jewish accent)[1] In fact a derogatory epithet for a Jew is "гаркавы" (Russian "картавый"), or "burry". Another meaning of the Belarusian word "гаркавы" is "slightly bitter" (in taste).


Notable people with the surname include:

  • Abraham Harkavy (1839–1919), Russian Jewish historian and orientalist
  • Alexander Harkavy (1863–1939), Russian Jewish writer and lexicographer, known for his Jewish-English Dictionary
  • Harold Harkavy (1915–1965), American bridge player
  • Ilya Garkavyi (1888-1397), Soviet Red Army commander
  • Juliana Harkavy (born 1985), American Jewish actress
  • Yehoshafat Harkabi (1921–1994), head of Israeli Military Intelligence Directorate (1955-59), military historian, and recipient of the first Israel Prize for political science (1993)
  • Shlomo Harkavy (c. 1870–c. 1942), Orthodox rabbi in Belarus

See also

  • All pages with titles containing Harkavy
  • All pages with titles containing Harkavi
  • All pages with titles containing Harkabi
  • Harkavy, a gang-controlled neighborhood in Michael Chabon's The Yiddish Policemen's Union

References

Further reading

Elhanan Harkavy, Dor yesharim. Kolel seder ha-yaḥaś le-mishpaḥat Harḳaṿi ..., a genealogical account of the Harkavy family, New York, 1903 (Google Books, free, in Hebrew)


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