Segments and Subclasses of Pseudo-Borrowed Onyms in the German Literary Language

Abstract

The article describes a system-structural analysis of 311 German pseudo-borrowings. The research objective was to classify pseudo-borrowed onyms in the German literary language as pseudo-borrowings or proper names. Pseudo-borrowed onyms are different from assimilates, erratives, pseudomotives, homeonims, memorative fictionyms, and pseudo-Latin cognomens. The sampling was based on six criteria: 1) the onyms developed from a morpheme of the donor language; 2) they violate the principle of reversibility; 3) they belong to the category of nomina propria ; 4) they are capitalized; 5) they belong to the German language; 6) they imitate a foreign language. German pseudo-borrowed onyms are represented by fourteen segments, the largest of which are the Maccaronian (Common Romanian) segments of pseudo-Latinisms (88 units, 28.3 %) and pseudo-Italianisms (80 units, 25.7 %). The largest onymic subclasses are represented by anthroponyms in the subset of realonyms (36 units, 11.6 %) and fictionyms (149 units, 47.9 %), as well as pragmonyms in the pseudo-Italian segment (70 units, 22.5 %). Fictionyms (166 units, 53 %) dominate over realonyms and come from translated fiction. Pseudo-borrowed onyms differ from appellants in their word formation because they are not tied to prestigious donor languages. The hybrid specificity of pseudo-borrowed onyms make it impossible to localize them as onymic or appellative.

Keywords

• pseudo-borrowings
• pseudo-borrowed onyms
• onymic vocabulary
• segments
• subclasses
• german literary language