Names for professional women in Transylvania from the 16th to the 19th centuries

Abstract

Names for professional women in Transylvania from the 16th to the 19th centuries  

This paper, building upon several preliminary studies, intends to give a comprehensive answer to the historical socio-onomastic question of how long self-employed women have been known by their own names rather than by the traditional name forms for married women derived from the husband’s name. The observed data were taken from the entries referring to crafts practised by women in the 13-volume “Erdélyi magyar szótörténeti tár [Historical Dictionary of Transylvanian Hungarian Words]”. Names of professional women (e.g. washerwoman, bakeress, dressmaker) as well as names of women doing casual work (e.g. fortune-teller, wet-nurse, sorceress) or serving as maids (e.g. baby-sitter, servant girl, help) were included in the investigation. Variants of name forms are presented separately in each group: terms for occupations appearing as substitutions for or accessories of names, name forms including the husband’s name, and name forms incorporating the woman’s own name are equally discussed. Conclusions: 1. Self-employed women were not predominantly known by their own names from the 16th to the 19th centuries. 2. In all three occupational groups, women were generally known by terms for their jobs. Profession was considered to be the most important feature of their personalities; thus, this trait was reflected in their names as well.