Proper Names from Abstract Nouns in the Bulgarian Naming Practice

Authors:

Pages: 81-86
DOI: https://doi.org/10.54664/SKRD3241

Abstract:

The article discusses the limited number of abstract-noun anthroponyms in our national naming practice. Three groups are analyzed – nouns ending in -а/-я, nouns ending in -e, and nouns ending in а consonant. Their appearance and development over time, as well as the emergence of their derivative female and male personal names, are traced and compared. The reason for their low frequency is the abstract semantics of the nouns which has made them unacceptable to- and not preferred by the Bulgarians. Even fewer and rarer are those ending in -e or in a consonant. Some of the motivating words are nouns of neutral gender and others are feminine, but the ending is typical of the masculine gender. This has made them unsuitable as either female or male proper names.

Keywords:

onomastics; anthroponyms; Bulgarian naming practice; abstract nouns.

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