Applied onomastic aspects of name interpretation before or outside modern science

Abstract

Applied onomastic aspects of name interpretation before or outside modern science

The paper reviews the word and name interpretations that existed before and after the emergence of historical-comparative linguistics and that could be found outside and in parallel with it, including classical and medieval etymologization, folk, and contemporary lay etymologies. The research aims to find generalizable features in the sources selected for the purpose of this study in the neglected research field. The first part of the paper explores the reasons for the development of such etymologies at any given time in history, and seeks to define their non-scientific functions in the past and present day. The second part examines the typical methods and directions of these word and name interpretations. The third part focuses on the impacts that etymologies of this category can have on everyday life, human thinking and certain areas of culture. The aim of the study is to draw attention to the potential, possibilities and usefulness of studying etymologies created before or outside modern science as a direction of applied onomastics and folk onomastics.