Ukrainian names — pronunciation, meaning, origin

Vira — Pronunciation, Meaning & Origin

Female Ukrainian name (Віра)

Pronunciation

Pronunciation card for Vira
/ˈwi.rɑ/ · VEE-ra
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Meaning

Vira (Ukrainian: Віра) is a female name of Slavic origin, a native Slavic calque of Greek Πίστις (Pistis, «faith»). One of the three principal Christian virtues.

Origin & History

The name is formed from Proto-Slavic *věra («faith, trust, conviction»). It is an exact Slavic calque of Greek Πίστις (Pistis, «faith»). In the Christian tradition Vira belongs to the triad of daughters of the holy martyr Sophia — Faith, Hope, Love — who suffered for their faith in Rome under Emperor Hadrian (2nd century); the names of the daughters themselves personify the principal Christian virtues. The Ukrainian form Vira is the native folk variant, simple and melodious. In the 20th century it was one of the common female names in Ukraine.

Etymology & Roots

From Proto-Slavic *věra («faith, trust»); a Slavic calque of Greek Pistis («faith»).

International equivalents

Equivalents in other languages: Vera (English, German, Swedish, Italian, Spanish, Dutch), Wiera (Polish), Věra (Czech), Viera (Slovak), Vjera (Croatian), Вера (Russian, Serbian, Bulgarian); the Greek semantic equivalent is Pistis.

Diminutives and short forms

Вібочка, Віринея, Віронька, Вірочка, Віруня, Вірунька, Віруся, Віруська, Вірка, Вірця.

Declension (Ukrainian)

NominativeВіра
GenitiveВіри
DativeВірі
AccusativeВіру
InstrumentalВірою
LocativeВірі
VocativeВіро

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