Badania etnolingwistyczne a etymologia
Ethnolinguistic Research and Etymology

Summary/Abstract: Etymological dictionaries can be a source of interesting data for ethnolinguistic research. The author discusses some relevant examples drawn mainly from Slavonic languages but at the same time relating to the ProtoIndoEuropean period.The article’s aim is to draw attention to pitfalls involved in the use of data found in etymological dictionaries. The fundamental issue here is the fact that while etymological reconstructions can be more or less reliable, dictionaries do not always indicate whether a particular etymology is the only one that exists and is generally accepted. Another issue is the limited character of information supplied by these dictionaries. Problems may also arise due to a sometimes unclear order in which individual meanings have evolved, as well as the order in which certain meanings generated others.The author infers that in order to be able to use etymological data in fields of linguistic research other than etymology, one should also possess solid etymological expertise.

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