Io (Church Slavonic: Ιω, Їѡ and Иѡ, also Iωан and Iωнь; Romanian Cyrillic: Iѡ; Greek: Ίω) is the contraction of a title used mainly by the royalty (hospodars or voivodes) in Moldavia and Wallachia, preceding their names and the complete list of titles. First used by the Asenid rulers of the Second Bulgarian Empire, the particle is the abbreviation of theophoric name Ioan (John), which comes from the original Hebrew Yohanan, meaning "God has favored". Io appeared in most documents (written or engraved), as issued by their respective chancelleries, since the countries' early history, but its frequency and relative importance among the princely attributes varied over time. Its usage probably dates back to the foundation of Wallachia, though it spread to Moldavia only in the 15th century. In more informal contexts, Romanians occasionally applied the title to benefactors or lieges from outiside the two countries, including John Hunyadi and George II Rákóczi. Initially used with Slavonic and Latin versions of documents, the word increasingly appeared in Romanian-language ones after 1600. With time, the Wallachian Io also came to be used by some women of the princely household, including Elena Năsturel and Doamna Marica. The arrival of the Phanariotes as rulers in both countries also ended the practice of avoiding the name "John" for Princes, and created duplications of the original styling, as "Io John". As it entered more general use and its meaning was obscured, the title was gradually confounded with the first-person pronoun, Eu, and alternated with the royal we, Noi, until being finally replaced by it in the 19th century. With the rise of modern historiography, Io's meaning and origin became entangled in lasting scholarly disputes. A final attempt to revive it for Carol as Domnitor of the United Principalities was made by Alexandru Papiu Ilarian in 1866.
History
Early usage The ultimate origin of Io is with the Biblical Yohanan (Hebrew: יוֹחָנָן), a reference to the divine right, and, in the baptismal name "John", an implicit expression of thanks for the child's birth; the abbreviation is performed as with other nomina sacra, but appears as Ioan in Orthodox Church ectenia. The Slavonic Ιω very often features a tilde over the second letter, which is indicative of a silent "n". Io is therefore described by scholar Emil Vârtosu as "both name and title". Its connection to the name "John", and its vocalization as Ioan, are explicitly mentioned by Paul of Aleppo, who visited Wallachia in the 1650s. However, he provides no explanation for why this particular name was favored. Historian Radu G. Păun describes it specifically as a "theophoric name", which "served to highlight that princely power derives directly from God and not from an intermediary agency". Theologian Ion Croitoru argues that Io placed Wallachian and Moldavian Princes under the patronage of John the Evangelist, and that it doubles as a reference to their status as defenders of the Orthodox faith.
… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.
