Ethnica jako podstawy motywacyjne antroponimów historycznego Podlasia

Abstract

Antroponyms motivated by ethnica of 15th–17th century Podlasie are in the focus of attention in the article. They constitute two groups: personal names equal to ethnonyms (derived semantically) and personal names derived through suffixation. Homonymy of motivational bases has also been discussed. Some antroponyms could have been built with the use of derivate appelatives of ethnic origin which became words that connotated certain features, attitudes, beliefs, professions normally associated with a particular nation, e.g. surname Cygan may present either a semantic derivative of an ethnonym Cygan, or a semantic derivative of an appelative cygan “cheater, twister, liar”.