ВОПРОСЫ ОНОМАСТИКИ | PROBLEMS OF ONOMASTICS

Ivan Alekseevich Podyukov
Perm State Humanitarian Pedagogical University, Perm, Russia

ANTHROPONYMS AS A PART OF RUSSIAN DIALECT PHRASEOLOGICAL EXPRESSIONS: VECTORS OF SEMANTIC REINTERPRETATION

For citation
Podyukov, I. A. (2025). Anthroponyms as a Part of Russian Dialect Phraseological Expressions: Vectors of Semantic Reinterpretation. Voprosy onomastiki, 22(3), 258–274. https://doi.org/10.15826/vopr_onom.2025.22.3.036

Received on 13 March 2025
Accepted on 13 August 2025

Abstract: This article explores the role of anthroponyms in the development of extra-literary (dialectal) phraseological expressions within the Russian dialects of the Kama region. Drawing primarily on material collected during the lexicographic study of Perm subdialects, particularly as reflected in regional dialect dictionaries, the study examines the semantic, structural, and cultural dimensions of phraseological units formed around personal names. These expressions, predominantly nominal in grammatical form, encapsulate figurative representations of people’s traits, social types, behaviors, and states. The analysis foregrounds a linguo-cultural approach, identifying the symbolic meanings of these fixed expressions and the cultural foundations underpinning their imagery. In some instances, this is supplemented by semantic analysis and contextual interpretation. The article addresses how commonly used names acquire evaluative and metaphorical functions in dialect phraseology, and it traces semantic shifts from pan-Russian name symbolism to regionally inflected reinterpretations. Cultural-historical, ethnolinguistic, and intra-systemic factors are considered as drivers of such shifts. Attention is paid to the limited references to historical, literary, or artistic names in folk phraseological creativity, and to the prevalence of religious anthroponyms (often in vernacular forms) and names rooted in folklore. The folk language’s playful manipulation of names is illustrated through numerous examples. The article concludes that from-anthroponymic phraseological units serve as an expressive medium for articulating cultural values and stereotypical perceptions within dialect-speaking communities. Their study sheds light on how vernacular phraseology preserves and transmits the cultural knowledge and worldview of the people.

Keywords: anthroponymy; dialectal phraseological units; Russian dialects of the Prikamye; semantics of anthroponym; symbolism of a personal name; cultural potential of a Russian name; folk symbolism

Acknowledgements
The study was carried out at the expense of the Russian Science Foundation grant No. 25-28-00314, https://rscf.ru/project/25-28-00314/, Onomastic Portrait of a Modern Industrial Region.

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