Proper Names in the Light of Theoretical Onomastics

Proper Names In the Light of Theoretical Onomastics139entry as well as other data is closely related to the content aspect of theprocessed onymy. As for toponyms, there is a direct relation between thename and the location where the object is situated. With reference to motivation,the original naming circumstances are outlined. In respect of theidentification role of a generic particularity named in ordinary communication,a kind of de-semantisation of the named lexeme takes place. Innames which are already non-existent, the lexical elements are retained (cf.e. g. debra, chopok, nákel, chríp // hríb, minčol, beskyd // beščaď etc. – Majtán1996).In historical lexicons, an entry can be arranged in two ways. A typologicalheadword stems from the contemporary status of a toponymic factand the entry is constructed on the principle of retrospection. The entryhas four parts: a source headword (in current form or in the form of theperiod); heuristic basis (records of historical documents listed retrospectively);linguistic basis (reconstruction of its form and content); comment(verification data). A genetic entry is constructed as follows: a sourceheadword (in the period or reconstructed Proto-Slavic form, grammaticaldata, the meaning of the headword and historical word-forming analysisof the word); progress of toponymisation; heuristic basis (from the oldestdocument to more recent ones); comment (with additional information)(Krajčovič 1983, 19 –22).In anthroponymy, official and unofficial names are distinguished. Inunofficial names, the motivation driving the naming is clear and live (Holý– Oblečsa-Naked – Getdressed, Hnilička – Plesnivý-Rotte – Mouldy, Úsečka-Abscissa, Veľká Hlava – Big Head ). The same can be stated for the so-calledambimodal chrematonyms (compare Vydavateľstvo časopisov a novín – PublishingHouse of Magazines and Newspapers, Letecký úrad Slovenskej republiky– the Office of Aviation of the Slovak Republic, Automatizácia železničnej dopravy– Automatisation of Railway Transport ). These classes of onymy makeit possible to classify their motivational features and to investigate howthe naming procedures are used. The current problem is the exceptionallyextensive sets of surnames. In their lexicographic processing, one has tocope with the consequences of the loss of motivation. Due to inher itinga surname, the primary motivational features lose their relevance. For example,the surname Tokár – Turner recorded in an onomasticon does notname “a craftman who produces round wooden objects”; this etymologicalmeaning could probably relate to the first bearer of this name and notto a person who lives in the town T on the street S. As mentioned earlier,