| Abstrakt: |
The article deals with the semantic motivation of names denoting a coniferous tree (Picea abies or Abies excelsa), basing on the material recorded in subdialects of European languages as answers to the questionnaire of the Atlas Linguarum Europae to be published in the next volume. In general, 13 motivational groups of names have been established, most important of them being: 1) 'tree', cf. Rmy. rukti, Kalm. cahan xarha; 2) 'various shapes of the tree', cf. Engl. pyramid-tree / feathery tree, Dan. dannenboom, Gm. Rottanne; 3) 'needle leaves', cf. Russ. jeľ, Latv. egle, Lith. eglė, Hung, bórfa; 4) 'pitch', cf. Fr. épicéa, It. pino, Engl. pine; 5) 'juicy pine', cf. Fr. sapin, It. sap; 6) 'trunk', cf. Du. sparre / maste, W.Fris. fjurrenhout; 7) 'evergreen coniferous tree', cf. Cz. smrk, Pol. smrek, Bosn., Cr., Mac., Serb., Sloven. smreka, Finn. kuusi, Est. kuus, Liv. kūzõ; 8) a naming transfer, cf. Hung. fenyő, Welsh Scots fir, Gr. kedros, Gm. Dachsbaam. Having examined the attested forms regarding their origin and semantics, the author concludes that the names to denote a conifer are not rich in variants in the Baltic languages. On the contrary, the semantic motivation of these names is quite variable in other European languages. The names denoting a conifer are less productive in both phraseology and folklore of the Baltic languages, but they are frequently represented in Latvian and Lithuanian toponymy as well as anthroponymy. However, these names may give valuable linguistic evidence about a certain natural phenomenon, a plant that is still characteristic of the flora in the Baltic region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
