Word-formation and functioning of Christian names in modern Polish Cover Image

Słowotwórstwo i funkcjonowanie imion osobowych we współczesnej polszczyźnie
Word-formation and functioning of Christian names in modern Polish

Author(s): Czesław Kosyl
Subject(s): Christian Theology and Religion, Language and Literature Studies, Morphology, Western Slavic Languages
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego

Summary/Abstract: Christian names constitute a set which is, to some extent, internally arranged due to the parallelism of feminine and masculine forms and to their specific statistical structure. The immediate derivatives of formal (official) names and further derivatives are formed by means of 1) back derivation; Lena < Magdalena: 2) alternation derivation: Agacia < Agata; 3) suffix derivation: Janeczek < Janek < Jan; 4) paradigmatic derivation Ewuś < Ewusia, Piotrunia < Piotrunio. In groups 2 and 3 derivation may be accompanied by mutilation (i.e. non-morphological word deformation). The characteristic features of name derivation are the following: polymorphism of stems and derivational formatives homcphony of derivatives from different names range of formal means [obtaining the same derivative from different derivational sequences. Christian names can be dealt with from the point of view of their emotional and stylistic values. The fundamental opposition within the emotional value is the one: emotionally specified vs. unspecified opposition. In the case of the stylistic value the fundamental one is the opposition of official forms vs. unofficial ones. All name forms, however, are to some extent, stylistically specified even for their limited range of use.

  • Issue Year: 1981
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 67-78
  • Page Count: 12
  • Language: Polish