Reflection of the Historical Facts in the Formation of the Medieval Anthroponymy (with an Example from Hont)

Abstract

The paper discusses the way the two-name anthroponymic system was formed – the original one-name system (first name) evolved into the two-name system (first name + byname) and later, the three-name system was established (first name + hereditary byname + functional element of the unofficial name). In the period when the byname became hereditary and was transferred to the following generation, it turned into a surname in terms of its function, and its semantic value went extinct. The lists of subjects in the Hont region of Slovakia were used as the material for analysis. Functional elements of the unofficial names correspond with today’s elements of unofficial anthroponymy; in the past, they were motivated by their owner’s occupation, mental and physical attributes, or their place of origin. The analysis of these names brings important knowledge about the history: the anthroponyms provide information on occupation, origin, and appearance of people in the Middle Ages.