ONOMÀSTICA 5 (2019): 137–156 | RECEPCIÓ 12.3.2019 | ACCEPTACIÓ 10.12.2019 Slovak hydronymy in the European context Juraj Hladký University of Trnava (Slovakia) [email protected] Abstract: Historical Slavic toponymy is the sole basis for understanding the development of Slavic macrodialects and the formation of Slavic languages, including Slovak. In this respect, hydronymic lexis contributes significantly to views on developments in vocabulary. The oldest hydronyms in Slovakia are probably of pre-Slavic (Quadi, Celtic or Roman) origin (for example, the Hron, the Váh, the Nitra rivers and others). The older pre-Slavic-Slovak hydronymy provides evidence of the differentiation of dialects in the earlier periods (until the 10th–12th century). The younger Slovak hydronymic inventory is supplemented by Slovak-adapted foreign hydronyms (mainly of German and Hungarian origin). They reflect the degree of historical inter-lingual contacts in the regions of Slovakia and complete the diachronous-synchronous view of Slovak lexis. The study describes the tradition and outlines the results of hydronomastic studies in Slovakia and the relatively comprehensive characterization of Slovak hydronymy undertaken by the Hydronymia Slovaciae project. In line with the methodology employed by the Hydronymia Europaea project, all documented hydronyms have been systematically processed in individual river basins, from the oldest to the most recent. The analysis of the complex corpus of both existing and extinct hydronyms, in addition to its recognised linguistic (lexical-semantic, structural-typological characteristics, motivation) goals, has served in the reconstruction of the original non-linguistic side of the proper names, their standardization and cartography, etc. Thanks to methodologically similar hydronomastic research in other Slavic countries, the results of the studies in Slovakia can be applied in a broader Slavic context. Key words: hydronym, Hydronymia Slovaciae, Hydronymia Europaea, Slovak, lexical- semantic and structural-typological characteristics, motivation, reconstruction La hidronímia eslovaca en el context europeu Resum: La toponímia eslovaca històrica és l’única base per entendre el desenvolupament dels macrodialectes eslovacs i la formació de les llengües eslaves, incloent-hi Eslovàquia. En aquest sentit, el lèxic hidronímic contribueix significativament al coneixement sobre el desenvolupament del vocabulari. Els hidrònims més antics d’Eslovàquia són probablement d’origen preeslau (quades, cèltics o romans), com per exemple, els rius Hron, Váth i Nitra entre d’altres. La hidronímia eslovaca preeslava més antiga proveeix evidències de la diferenciació dels dialectes en períodes arcaics (fins als segles X–XII). L’inventari més antic d’hidronímia eslovaca es complementa amb hidrònims estrangers 137 Juraj Hladký adaptats a l’eslovac (principalment d’origen alemany i hongarès). Reflecteixen el grau de contacte interlingüístic històric en les regions d’Eslovàquia i completen la visió diacrònica-sincrònica del lèxic eslovac. L’estudi descriu la tradició i remarca el resultat dels estudis hidronomàstics a Eslovàquia i la caracterització relativament completa de la hidronímia eslovaca portada a terme en el marc del projecte Hydronymia Slovaciae. D’acord amb la metodologia emprada en aquest projecte, tots els hidrònims que han estat processats corresponen sistemàticament a conques fluvials individuals, des del més antic al més recent. L’anàlisi del complex corpus d’hidrònims —existents i pretèrits—, a més dels objectius lingüístics reconeguts (característiques lexicosemàntiques, característiques tipològiques estructurals, motivació), ha servit per a la reconstrucció de la part no lingüística dels noms propis, la seva estandardització i inserció en cartografia, etc. Gràcies a la recerca hidronímica metodològicament similar desenvolupada a altres països, el resultat dels estudis a Eslovàquia es poden aplicar en un context eslau més ampli. Paraules clau: hidronímia, hidronímia eslovaca, hidronímia europea, Eslovàquia, característiques lexicosemàntiques, característiques tipològiques estructurals, motivació, reconstrucció Introduction Historical Slavic onymy creates a body of linguistic evidence about the development of the macrodialects of the pre-Slavic language and of the formation of individual Slavic languages. Research into proper names sheds light on the development of a specific language (especially its lexis and sound system), since acquiring different language materials from those times is no longer possible (Krajčovič 1980, 217; Majtán 1996, 29). Historically fixed and documented proper names are, at the same time, an indispensable condition for historical and comparative research into Slavic languages. The historical appellative and proprial lexis serves here as essential documentation material, since proper names originated from the appellatives that existed in the language in the period of the origin of the proper name. Slovak onymy provides important evidence for research into the history of the Slovak language, and, in a wider context, about the break up and differentiation of the proto-Slavic language. The same is true vice versa as well: Slavic studies, etymology and historical- comparative research, in turn, provide information on the onomastics in the reconstruction of proper names. The paper will discuss two problem areas: 1. methodological starting points and the state of research into the Slovak hydronymy in a wider 138 Slovak Hydronymy in the European Context Slavic and European context, and 2. brief characteristics of the Slovak hydronymy. Slovak hydronymy in a historical perspective The effort to explain hydronyms and other toponyms can be seen already in the work of the Slovak baroque polymath Matej Bel [Matthias Bel] (1684–1749). In his description of individual Hungarian counties entitled Historicko-zemepisné vedomosti o súvekom Uhorsku [Historical- geographical knowledge on contemporaneous Hungary] (in lat. orig. Notitia Hungariae Novae Historico-geographica; 1735–1742), Bel provided popular explanations of some toponyms and expressed his critical opinion on many of them. For example, the hydronym Žitava (1075 Sitoua, Zythwa) was correctly derived from the appellative žito [wheat]. In his opinion, the motivation behind the name was the fact that it is a river which flows through a fertile field (Bel 1742, 162). Bel’s explanation is identical to the modern linguistic explanation as well. The hydronym belongs to a group of names with an ancient hydroformant -ava (< germ. *ahwa = water, river) which has also been preserved in Slovak hydronyms Orava, Rudava, Myjava, Ondava, and so on. It is derived from the pan- Slavic žito (= wheat in western but rye in eastern Slovakia). This is derived from the pan-Slavic verb *žíti [to live], and the name Žitava thus names a river flowing through wheat, corn, i.e. fertile land. Bel made several such explanations, many of which, naturally, would be rejected or significantly corrected by contemporary linguistics. The first scholarly work that predetermined the development of Slovak hydronomastics is a monograph by the Czech onomastics scholar Vladimír Šmilauer entitled Vodopis starého Slovenska (1932) [Hydrography of the Old Slovakia]. In it, he put together and reconstructed the oldest hydronymic lexis from individual river basins based on the evidence from medieval documents, skillfully showing the stratification of the then-known oldest hydronyms in the territory of Slovakia. Indeed, today’s more detailed archival and linguistic research can be considered a continuation of this work. 139 Juraj Hladký Later, original independent studies were undertaken providing explanations of hydronyms which are considered pre-Slavic (Váh, Hron) or unclear (Laborec, Latorica, Torysa, Dudváh, etc.). Likewise, works in Slavic studies discussing the hydronyms that can be included into the proto-Slavic hydronymic inventory (studies by R. Krajčovič, V. Uhlár, Š. Ondruš, and others) emerged. A list of works on Slovak hydronymy up to 2010 was introduced by J. Hladký and J. Krško in the Súpis prác o slovenskej hydronymii [Inventory of Works on Slovak Hydronymy] (In: Z hydronymie západného Slovenska, 2010) [From the Hydronymy of Western Slovakia]. As far as the Slavic countries are concerned, systematic research into hydronyms did not begin until the second half of the 20th century. The principles used by Polish onomastics scholars in their research of the hydronymy of the river basins of the Warta and San were applied by M. Majtán and K. Rymut in their work on the hydronymy of the Orava river basin (Hidronimia dorzecza Orawy, 1985). It was the first attempt at a systematic discussion of the hydronyms from one river basin. In relation to the heuristic research of Slovak hydronymy, Milan Majtán (1987, 14) has remarked: “A more detailed research, complemented by frequency data and dynamism of the development of the name, of the naming content and word formation models, as well as a detailed analysis of structural and word formation types of historical and contemporary Slovak hydronymy, remains yet to be done. A complex monograph on Slovak hydronymy will also be a starting point for comparative research in the western-Slavic as well as pan-Slavic context”. Around this time, there originated in Germany a project aimed at providing a unified and complex study of the hydronymy of Europe entitled Hydronymia Europaea. Drawing on the methodological principles of that project, systematic research into