Laus Hispaniae: the evolution of nominating Spain in the Ukrainian language

Abstract

Introduction. In the modern Ukrainian language, some proper names have been borrowed, the spelling of which differs significantly from the original language. Country nominations adapted in a particular language are called exonyms and are opposed to the self-names of the corresponding countries – endonyms. Such names, for example, include Gruziia – Sakartvelo, Bombay – Mumbai, Pekin – Beijin, Lipsk – Leipzig, Shweitsaria – Shwaitsaria, Jeuropa – Europa, etc. Exotoponyms might have lexical, word-forming, and phonetic variations, depending on the source of borrowing and further transformations in the recipient language. Wide variability is also characteristic of the names of the Iberian Peninsula’s largest country, which have long appeared in historical chronicles and polemical treatises, and in the twentieth century. became the object of coverage of the world, including Ukrainian newspapers.

Methods. A comparative method was used to identify the specifics of the transfer of toponyms to designate the Iberian Peninsula’s famous country in different European languages. To analyze the identified units in the Ukrainian language, a descriptive method was used, and contextual analysis made it possible to trace the correlation of linguistic and extra-linguistic factors.

Results. Based on the analysis of the history of the south European country’s nominations, several variants of the exotoponym and its derivatives have been identified: 1) Yshpaniia (Ishspaniia), Ispaniia; 2) Hishpaniia (Hyshpaniia); 3) Espania. The longest history among these exonyms was the Polonism “Hishpaniia”, which dominated the Ukrainian literary language from the end of the XVI to the beginning of the XVII century. and until the start of the XX century, when, with the probable mediation of the Roman languages, the distribution and codification in the Ukrainian Orthography (Pravopys) of 1929 acquired the form “Espania” and its derivatives – the most accurate corresponding to the endonym “España”. The exotoponym “Ispaniia” (Yshpaniia) was borrowed directly from Greek but had limited use until its codification in modern lexicographic sources and orthography.

Conclusions.  Studies of the history of using borrowed words make it possible to establish their origin, source of borrowing, and, consequently, the phonetic and graphic specifics in the recipient language. To analyze such names, it is important to consider the context of use, as well as extra-verbal factors that affect the dynamics of the use of such nominations, their connotation, and referential relation. An equally important factor that does not leave modern speakers indifferent is the authenticity of Ukrainian words, even borrowed ones. Considering all the arguments in the complex, we can make recommendations on word usage in modern literary language.

Information about the author:

Bohomolets-Barash Oleksandr Mykolaiovych – PhD, junior researcher at the Department of Dialectology of the Institute of Ukrainian Language of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine

Email: bohomolets.barash@knu.ua