Multiplicity and division of names identifying early settlements in historical Ung County, in the north-eastern part of the former Kingdom of Hungary

Abstract

Multiplicity and division of names identifying early settlements in historical Ung County, in the north-eastern part of the former Kingdom of Hungary  

Multiplicity and division of names are two interesting, but little researched phenomena of place naming practices. The authors in their research into the settlement names of Ung County have identified several names in the western part of the county, whose historical data display both phenomena. The explanation for this lies in the possession and settlement history of the county. The Nagymihályi family, widespread in Ung County, possessed extensive land holdings (Tiba, Ricse, Jeszenő), the division and population of which led to the establishment of settlements, which, at least for a while, bore the original names of the lands as well as their newly acquired names. Multiplicity of names originating in land division, however, soon disappeared. In other parts of Ung County, multiplicity and division of names occurred sporadically. These instances were occasioned by different factors than the ones discussed above.