MovieChat Forums > Captain Corelli's Mandolin (2001) Discussion > The name Mandras

The name Mandras

posted 20 years ago by chgalacher
24 replies | jump to latest

I've been wondering what sort of name is Mandras?

I've got quite few Greek friends but I've never heard such a name before.

Does anybody has any idea?

Cheers.

John

[–] 20 years ago

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[–] subdivizion 20 years ago

mandra in greek is a low stone wall. so it COULD be a name although i've never heard of one(i'm from Greece). Lithuanian names just sound like ours but no Greek has a Lithuanian name or vice versa except in special occasions.

[–] susan-andrews780 19 years ago

Given Kefallinia's history with Venice, could it be a derivation of an Italian name?

Proof that God has a sense of humour - George W is President.

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] 19 years ago

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[–] harrietta_moonriver 19 years ago

Mandras' mother, Drosoula, was part Turkish, wasn't she? Is it not a Turkish name???

"Eliza! Where the devil are my slippers?"

[–] smartie_queen 19 years ago

de Bernieres, read this name in a Greek passage, and was surprised to find that this name isnt in use in Greece. It is a Greek name though.

[–] ottolar 19 years ago

Turkish borrowed the Greek word 'mandra' (low enclosure, sheep pen) which then acquired the meaning of 'dairy'. But it is not used as a name in Turkish either.

[–] kstrani 19 years ago

Quote: Beleive me, they do, more often than in special occasions :)
I was surprised as much.
-------------------------------------------------

Could you please give an example, because I am Greek and I have never heard or met any other Greek with a Lithuanian name...
These countries have very little if anything in common :-) The fact that Mandras means something in Lithuanian is a pure coincidence. I agree with the poster who said the Mandras is a nickname and not a proper name.

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] ellinas_arkas 19 years ago

As subdivision said, mandra in Greek means fench.

I don't know if the name is related with this word. I am from Greece and I never met a man with this name before.

[–] corellithevocahepisode 19 years ago

Drosoula called him Mandras because she had a dream in which her grandfather told her he was to be named so when she was pregnant with him. She said that no one had heard the name before so i suppose it isn't greek or turkish.

[–] Samuiljackson 19 years ago

Mandras is sort of a nickname

Like

Long john"silver"

or jack the "ripper"

His nick was mandras ,well i dont know why...

And Drosoula is'nt a turkish name you bag

Drosoula in greek means , cold water ,or cold air.

"We live to defeat our devil.The devil cannot be fought by hate,only with love.

[–] harrietta_moonriver 19 years ago

Well I'm dreadfully sorry that I'm not a Greek scholar I was just making a conjecture, you anally retentive boob.
"Eliza! Where the devil are my slippers?"

[–] amandalongden 19 years ago

I'm studying Corelli at school. Apparantly its a name about water, like Pelagia. Its something like ocean - one, can't remember exactly. But the two names are a pair, and used to show how both Mandras and Pelagia fight against their traditional roles and become something different, although in different ways. That is what I ahve been led to believe. Where did Drosoula have that dream? I really can't remember that from the book or the film.

[–] corellithevocahepisode 19 years ago

That piece is actually explained in his other book, "Birds Without Wings". Drosoula is in that book aswell

[–] humpo_123 19 years ago

ive just started studying Greek, and could Mandras be some distortion of o andras mou? (my husband)perhaps bernieres made this less obvious by moving the possesive adjective to the front like snow white's adjective was placed afterwards to make it sound more like a name instead of a title. then it could have been shortened from mou andras to m'andras.

[–] mariannita1992 19 years ago

although i'm greek,i've never heard that name.in greek,mandra does mean a small wall,like a fench,but i cant understand the reason that he is given that name.

is the movie based on real people and events?(except World War 2)

[–] rusavvy88 19 years ago

"But it can also be that Mandras could be Italian name, meaning utterly different thing."

This one makes the most sense because Pelagia and Mandras are so different, they don't work as a couple

Although it doesn't fit with the story as he is Greek, not Italian.

[–] vanef 19 years ago

i'm Italian, it isn't an Italian name...

[–] 1966nm 18 years ago

Names originally were given not by an available list but according to the will of the fathers (as well as in honor of a person e.g. grandparents for the Greeks). Today is less common but once, original or uncommon names were often being given for some reason (and still are, in several countries).

If they wanted to give the name Mandras to a person, his parents could very nicely do it. Today priests would probably deny it. But in those days it was not a problem.

I have no etymology to propose but it seems to (maybe) have the same root as Mandragoras, so everything is possible.

And Kostas is neither a Greek nor a Lithuanian name. It is short for the Latin Constantin(us).

[–] Mel204 17 years ago

I heard that De Bernieres made up the name 'Mandras.' But now it is a common name in Greece due to this novel.

[–] oiwnos-1 12 years ago

lets put an end to it...

Mandras is a made up Greek sound name... he just wanted something that would sound greek... it's not a name... it could me a surname like "john carpender" mandras could mean the guy that makes Fences... but as a name is as much a name as you have seen Drivers Carpenders and Butchers as First names... it doesn't exist...

its like the russian dancer Tafta Sobrotova....

well now you ll see what the writer did...
there is no dancer like or a living person named like that.. probably becaues i just made a russian sounding name 20 seconds ago...

and Liss17 said the biggest crap i ve ever seen in imdb... IT'S COMMON NAME NOW IN GREECE BECAUSE OF THE NOVEL????? not 1 out of 10000 have read the novel in greece... it's not a big thing or something... and THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE mandras registered in the phone catalog... etc ..

this is a MADE UP GREEK SOUNDING FAKE NAME...

to answer 7 years later to the opp

Mmmmm.I am between a Lambo and a Hyundai.

[–] 12 years ago

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