krzysztof tomasz witczak linguistic calques in the old prussian and yatvingian toponymy

6

Click here to load reader

Upload: xgn

Post on 12-Jul-2016

4 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

DESCRIPTION

Baltistica

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Krzysztof Tomasz Witczak Linguistic Calques in the Old Prussian and Yatvingian Toponymy

���

B A L T I S T I C A X X X IX (2) 2 0 0 4 309–313

� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �

����������� ���

LINGUISTIC CALQUES IN THE OLD PRUSSIAN AND YATVINGIANTOPONYMY1

����������

������������� ��

��������� �������������������������������������������� ����!"������#

scholarly works to Baltic linguistics and onomastics, as well as to the study of theancient past of the Baltic tribes. In his article �������������������������������[“Thenames of places – a wellspring of history”], originally published in 1922, � � �

(1961, 491) wrote the following words:

�"� $"���� ��"���� ���%&'� �#%���(� ������"�������$#��� )�&*� �$��� ��$� '����$&��

��$��"������'�������$����"�������+�,�-��.�%������/��"��$��!�������)�&,�0���$��!���)��)���1�

��������.(����)�.(�"��.(�).(�!��.(����.(�$���.���$�,�%����,�-������%��"�������

)���&�,� -����� ��"���� �������� )�&�� %������ %����� ����� �������� �� $����� ��"���

)�&%��)����,�2����������$�(�$����%�������"���/��!�"'����/���%��)�3,�4��!�%&�������"'�$��

�������%��.�����$���"�����5�"��%��"�(�$"���������%����������"���"�����$�6����#%���'"�(

��������"������"'"�(��6�$"�.���)�������������6�������6����������&%�6$&�,

(The land itself can tell us who lived where in the ancient past: one simply needs toknow how to ask and understand the answers (…). It is the land itself that speaks to us bymeans of place names. The words of the land’s language give us the names of cities,orchards, rivers, lakes, marshes, forests, hills and other such places. People give namesto places. The names of places for one nation may become the place names of anothernation. That happens when a foreign power encroaches upon territory that does not belongto it. For some of the places the new invaders leave the same names they found used bythe former inhabitants of the land; for other places they give new names often broughtfrom the original fatherland).

(Cited in English after S a b a l i a u s k a s 1993, 20)

It was obvious for many nineteenth-century scholars that names of places, especiallynames of rivers and lakes, may tell more about the ancient past of a nation than the

1�2��7������7���7��������������������������8�����������9��7� ��%���������������

�����-����"�(��th November 2001).

Page 2: Krzysztof Tomasz Witczak Linguistic Calques in the Old Prussian and Yatvingian Toponymy

���

“mute” archaeological sources. According to Prof. Leszek B e d n a r c z u k (1996,117–118), two great researchers of the Baltic languages with the Indo-Europeaninterest, Kazimieras B���� ���� 0���:� ��;�<��������$�� ���=�����>�(� ���� �

������� ���7�����#���#�#��7���� ���� �����?��%� �����"�����,�@���

�7� ��� � ���������� �!�� ��� !���� ���� ���� �� �� ��� �� �" ��7"�� ��*� ���

! �"���7��������"�����(�<��������$i because of excessive cautions. Theirworks appeared for many years after their death (R o z w a d o w s k i 1948; � � �

1958–1961). ��������� ���������#��7����(�<��������$��� ���������"�!��7�?��%�

�#���#�����������������7��%��������$�����A���"�����and Latvia and arrived atthe following conclusion:

The names of rivers in White Russia (in the provinces of Minsk, Mogilëv and Smolensk)indicate that one should search for the ancestral land of the Lithuanians and Latvians northof the Pripet (along its left tributaries), along the Berezina and the Upper Dniepr river,almost as far as the midpoint of the Sozh river.

(quoted in English after S a b a l i a u s k a s 1993, 24)

Kazimieras � � � � ������ B� <<� 888� =���=���� �������"����� ����� �� �����

�#���#�� �����(�������!#�����%����������������� -da (e.g. ���������,Griv-da, New-da, Sieg-da, ��������, ������). The hydronymic suffix -da was aregional innovation, firmly attested ��� ��� ������ ��� ��� �7� ���C��%������� ��!�,2���������#� ���� �� �"�����������!���������!"������7���������-da ���������

����� �����������7����C��%�������,�:����!���������������� ���D�� �� �"�����2.As one of the most renowned resear ��� �7� ��� ���� � �����#�#� ���� ����

����������������������� ���������������������"���� � ��E"�(���� ������������

����#�F���G"����������C��%������������,�H� ����!�%�������77���7����

��7�"� ����� ����#�I���(�G����������J���� ���ic) in the toponymy of the WestBaltic area.

I quote here the well known case of a Latin-German-Polish onomastic complex,attested in the territory of the Old Prussians. We can not say with certainty whatOld Prussian name was given to the river, called now Zimna Struga or WarkalskiRów (B i o l i k 1987, 260). It is obvious, however, that the primary Old Prussianhydronym was glossed in Latin as fluvius Frigidus ‘cold river’ (1331 a fluvio, quifrigidus appellatur) and later translated into German Caldeflys (1380) and PolishZimna Struga (1924). It is not impossible to reconstruct Old Prussian hydronym

2 L. B e d n a r c z u k (1996, 127) accepts the Yatvingian character of the da-7�����(����"��������

����������������"�������(���%��!#� ���(��������������-da represents the Baltic name of water����.

Page 3: Krzysztof Tomasz Witczak Linguistic Calques in the Old Prussian and Yatvingian Toponymy

���

*Salt-ape (literally ‘cold river’, cf. OPrus. saltis ‘cold’ and ape ‘river’) by analogyto Lith. Šalt-up� (cf. Va n a g a s 1981, 325).

The other standard example of the complex onomastical translation is discussedby T o p o r o v and � � � � � � � (1962). The river name Lopatka (in the Orlovdistrict) is linked to the Lithuanian, Latvian and Prussian hydronyms, derived fromthe Baltic word for ‘fox’ (cf. Lith. l���, OPrus. lape, Latv. lapsa ‘fox’). The river inquestion flows into a river called usually Ropša or sometimes �������. The formername is motivated by the Iranian word for ‘fox’ (cf. Ossetic robas ‘fox’, Khotan Sakarruvasa- ‘jackal’ < Iran. ��������), the latter one by the Slavic appellative for ‘fox’(cf. Pol. lisica, Russ. ������). These three river names, which demonstrate exactlythe same meaning, represent typical calques (A b a e v 1979, 300). The modern namesof rivers are adapted from a Baltic, Iranian and Slavic source, respectively. So theBalts, Slavs and Iranians made contact with each other in the same place in the ancientpast. The names of fox, having been preserved in the names of rivers, are a sufficientproof of this contact.

There are many similar examples in the West Baltic toponymy. Some Old Prussianand Yatvingian names were also gradually Lithuanized. Unfortunately, many translationsof such type, or – to say exactly – many onomastical calques, are ignored by toponymistsor passed over in silence.

In my presentation I would like to discuss a number of onomastic translations,which have not been so far identified in some standard monographs.

1. OPruss. Laidegarbe (1352, 1366, 1422), an unlocated village near Kolno andTarniny (see P o s p i s z y l o w a 1987, 85; P r z y b y t e k 1993, 143), cannot bedissociated from German Leimberg (1339, 1348), � ������� ������ ����������

P o s p i s z y l o w a 1987, 87). Both these names, Old Prussian Laide-garbe andGerman Leim-berg!���� ��������� ���"��� ��"�� �"�� #� ���� "���$ ��� ���" �����

��������������"��������������� �����!�������������������������ch other),thus the German name Leimberg must be a translational calque of the Old Prussiantoponym Laidegarbe.

2. An undistinguished calque may be also restored in the name of a dried lakenear the villages Bogdany and Skajboty: Krupolinek (in 1772 Kropilink, niem.Kroplineck See 1924, Kroplingsee 1938) or Krutinek (1924). The Slavic derivationsfrom Pol. kropla ‘drop’ and Russ. ���� (adj.) ‘steep, abrupt, precipitous’ (assuggested by B i o l i k 1987, 118), as well as etymologies based on Lith. kr�pyti,kropyti ‘besprengen, spritzen’ and krut�ti (B i o l i k 1993, 124), are weaklymotivated. In my opinion, the German name Kropling See is a phonetic adaptationof Old Prussian *Krupeilingis (literally ‘[lake] full of frogs’, see OPrus. ������ ‘frog’, see : � ) � " � � � 1993, 287). The alternative form Krutinek is a Polish version

Page 4: Krzysztof Tomasz Witczak Linguistic Calques in the Old Prussian and Yatvingian Toponymy

���

of German *Kröting See (liter. ‘lake of toads [or frogs]’, cf. G. Kröte ‘toad’, also‘frog’ in some dialects), which is a partial translation of OPrus. *Krupeil-ingis).Thus two names of the same dried-lake confirm the opinion of most Baltists thatthe Old Prussian gloss trupeyle ‘vrosch = Frosch’ (EV 780) should be correctedinto *crupeyle. This opinion was suggested on the basis of a possible comparisonof the Old Prussian gloss with the Lithuanian and Latvian lexical material, cf. Latv.krupis m. / krupe f. ‘toad’, Lith. dial. krùpis m. / krùp� f. ‘id.’. In other words, boththe lexical and onomastical data are conformable.

3. A similar case occurs in Yatvingian toponymy. The stream ���������� or����� ������!��� flows through the marshy area called ����� �� �� �"���������

%����&� F a l k 1973, 53–54).

��������� �����"�����������!������������������������ and ����� ��)are of Baltic origin, and the former represents a late Slavic adaptation of Lith.v�tralau!a ‘wind-fallen wood’. However, it seems more promising to suggest thatthe name ����������is really a Slavic form (denoting ‘wind marsh’), representing afull translation of Yatv. �"�����#����(liter. ‘wind marsh’, cf. Yatv. winta ‘wind’ inthe so called Zinov’s glossary and Yatv. *bala = Lith. bal� f. ‘bog, morass, swamp,marsh’), attested by two substratal names ����� �� and Windobalska rzeka (Seealso a hybridal Yatvingian-Polish formation "���� ����‘wind marsh’ in the Polish

������"������ �������'�����"�

����" �������� �(���������������

������������(�����"������"�����

�"� )*�" �������! ��(������ �� F a l k1973, 54).

Page 5: Krzysztof Tomasz Witczak Linguistic Calques in the Old Prussian and Yatvingian Toponymy

���

toponymy of Byelorussia). If this suggestion is acceptable, then the onomasticremnants of Yatvingian origin document the correctness of the Polish-Yatvingiangloss wiotr – winta (PJV 22) and, at the same time, they strongly confirm theincontestable value of the Polish-Yatvingian vocabulary entitled “Pagan dialectsfrom Narew” (see � � � & � � � � � � � 1984, 1985, 1992).

Conclusions

K�������L������ ��7��� ���D������������������������������� ��E"���n theBalto-Slavic area are a valuable aid in research of the extinct Baltic languages. Thelinguistic calques in question permit us:

(1) to locate the non-identified toponymical objects (as in the first case);(2) to confirm the necessity of correcting the Old Prussian gloss trupeyle ‘vrosch’

(EV 780) into *crupeyle (as in the second case);(3) to demonstrate the real existence of a German lexical item in Yatvingian winta

‘wiotr / wind’ (as in the third case).

REFERENCES

A b a e v V. I., )*+*! %&���,�������&�� ������-�. /�&��&�! 0 1����� �����&��� -���&������-�.

2����������&��-���&�!���&��!3+405)4.

6 � � � � � � � � &/.!)**7!�������8����"��������9 ���&�������:����/�����&����!0;���������

%�����<�&���.������������3�����������-&��������-�"������������-!��������!3=03>�?)**>

���.�.@A����B!���&8�!))+0)54.

6 � � � � & �.!)*C+!;�����������������D�������������D���&�!1������.

B i o l i k M., 1993, Die Namen der stehenden Gewässer im Zuflußgebiet des Pregel und imEinzugsbereich der Zuflüsse zur Ostsee zwischen Pregel und Memel (Nazwy wó����-9���"��������

D���������(���8�6����&���3���D�����9�E������B!;F4!%��������.

� � a �,(�����(�M��.�%��.���"��'��������5�.�!�����%&�.����%&(���2�"�����)����(�8(�����,

� � �� <<����, 1 ���(�<��$��������6���(�8�888(�-����"�(���>����=�,

G � � & �.@1.!)*+5!�������8������������8�������&��"!/���.

� � H � � � � �� -,(�����(�G��.�$��!�����������'���)��#���(�88(�-����"�,

D � � ( � � � � � � � � �.!)*C+!�(������(���������- �����.E�������-�����!1������.

D � � � � � � � & A.! )**5!1���������������"��;��&���� ���I����"�����1��(���J��� E����

���-����� (��"������� ������&���� � (���������- ��:K�� D��� ��"�����"B! ;F %���������!

%��������.

A � � � � � � � � & � L.!)*>C!%����������������8�������<�&��"!���&8�.

S a b a l i a u s k a s A., 1993, We, the Balts (translated by M. Ba$6#�&N<� ������(������!#�<,1J,1<�N

������(���������8����" �����!#�H,�<,�? ���������(�-����"�,

Page 6: Krzysztof Tomasz Witczak Linguistic Calques in the Old Prussian and Yatvingian Toponymy

���

To p o r o v V. N., O. N. � � � � � � �! )*73!/�����������&�-����������������M��&"����D����(,

���$-�!���&��.

Va n a g a s A., 1981, A��"%�.��������.�������������)��#nas, Vilnius.� � � & � � � � � � � Z., 1984, Pol’sko-j��%'�)�$�j slovarik?, – Balto-slavjanskie issledovanija (1983),

Moskva, 3–29.� � � & � � � � � � �� O,(����>(�A�$.N'��%����.�)��#�&���P(��� ������� �(�QQ8����(�=����(�����QQ8����(

184–194.� � � & � � � � � � � Z., 1992, A Polish,N���������M���������O!0/������������1�������%����������

D����<�!**0)55.