ANDIS, ANDES, ANDIO, ANDIA

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Andis

Andis

Andis is a personal name found among the Illyrians of southern Panonia and much of northern Dalmatia (corresponding roughly with modern Bosnia and Herzegovina). A more frequently occurring variant is Andes. Due to this particular geographic distribution, the origin and the meaning of the name (Andis, Andes) may be connected to the name origin of Andizetes, a small Illyrian tribe whose home was precisely present day Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Andes and Andis resemble Greek names, with word endings ''es'', or ''is'', as opposed to typical Illyrian name endings ''o'', and ''on'', like Andio, which too were found throughout the Illyrian territories, but predominantly in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Female versions of the name include Andia and Andena.
The closest, or the most similar corresponding word explaining the etymology of Andis, or Andes is the Proto-Albanian word ''Anda'', meaning a ''strong desire'', from which a modern Albanian word of Andja (desire, wish or lust) is believed to derive.
However, connections with other Indo-European words, with the word root of And/Ant may be found. A Spanish word, "anden" , meaning terrace, in reference to the cultivation terraces bears another similarity. It is precisely this particular word that is often cited in relation to the etymology of the well known mountain range in South America, the Andes.
The name of ancient pagan god, Andinus (Deo Andino sacrum) is yet another word that has been related to this personal name.
References:
1. Illyrians, by John Wilkes, 2. Illyrians-History, Life and Culture by Aleksandar Stipčević