ВОПРОСЫ ОНОМАСТИКИ | PROBLEMS OF ONOMASTICS

Irina Aleksandrovna Sedakova
Institute for Slavic Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

ON THE ENRICHMENT OF THE BULGARIAN ANTHROPONYMICON: BORROWINGS, WORD-FORMATION, AND NAME CREATIVITY

For citation
Sedakova, I. A. (2024). On the Enrichment of the Bulgarian Anthroponymicon: Borrowings, Word-Formation, and Name Creativity. Voprosy onomastiki, 21(3), 117–138. https://doi.org/10.15826/vopr_onom.2024.21.3.034

Received on 30 October 2023
Accepted on 10 December 2023

Abstract: The Bulgarian anthroponymicon, as a multifaceted and dynamic system, is continually reshaped by both external and internal influences. This article draws on an extensive body of anthroponymic material sourced from archival and published records, as well as data collected by the author over recent decades in Bulgaria. The analysis identifies and describes several distinct strategies for the enrichment of the Bulgarian anthroponymicon. A substantial portion of the anthroponymic repertoire originates from appellatives, encompassing “astronomical,” “landscape,” “meteorological,” and “zoonymic” names. Particular focus is made on the decomposition of full names into multiple forms, each spawning new anthroponyms and diverse series of hypocoristics (e.g., Kostadin → Kosta, Dinko, etc.). The study also explores dialectal semantic and morphological variations in personal names. Phonetic processes influencing the transformation of proper names, such as devoicing, sonorization, epenthesis, prosthesis, apocope, syncope, and elision, are examined in detail. The primary suffixes used in the formation and modification of anthroponyms are identified, and their evolving productivity and significance over time are discussed. Processes of borrowing, translation, and adaptation of foreign proper names are traced, with an emphasis on their integration into the Bulgarian naming system. Notably, female anthroponyms are shown to significantly outnumber male ones in both variety and frequency. Neo-anthroponymization is analyzed in depth, highlighting its dual foundation: the creative approach of Bulgarians to naming and the regulated practices tied to ancestral name transmission. The study emphasizes the role of narratives in clarifying and refining the origins and morphology of proper names. The author concludes that while globalization exerts an increasing influence on the Bulgarian anthroponymic system, archaic naming processes continue to adapt to modern innovations, ensuring their persistence and relevance in the future.

Keywords: anthroponymy; anthroponymicon; neo-anthroponyms; Bulgarian language, morphology; semiotics; ethnolinguistics

Acknowledgements
The study was funded by the Russian Science Foundation, project No. 22-18-00365 Semiotic Models in the Cross-Cultural Space: Balcano-Balto-Slavica, https://rscf.ru/en/project/22-18-00365/.

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