Harkavy is a Jewish surname. Variants in Russian language include Garkavy/Garkavyi (
Гаркавый),
Гарькавый) and Gorkavy (
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 , Etymology 2) instead of voiced alveolar trill R (thus hinting at Jewish accent)
[ Harkavy Name Meaning] In fact a derogatory epithet for a Jew is "гаркавы" (Russian "картавый"), or "". Another meaning of the Belarusian word "" is "slightly bitter" (in taste).
Notable people with the surname include:
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Abraham Harkavy (1839–1919), Russian Jewish historian and orientalist
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Alexander Harkavy (1863–1939), Russian Jewish writer and lexicographer, known for his Jewish-English Dictionary
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Harold Harkavy (1915–1965), American bridge player
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Ilya Garkavyi (1888-1397), Soviet Red Army commander
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Juliana Harkavy (born 1985), American Jewish actress
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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)
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Shlomo Harkavy (c. 1870–c. 1942), Orthodox rabbi in Belarus
See also
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Harkavy, a gang-controlled neighborhood in Michael Chabon's The Yiddish Policemen's Union
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Harkusha, similar etymology
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)
