Mediated Naming: The Case of Unconventional Anthroponyms (UA)

Abstract

Abstract The present paper deals with mediation, a particular linguistic mechanism of designating referents, which is different from conventional naming (performed by means of official proper names) and which relies on (synthetic or analytic) nomination auxiliaries. In the cases discussed, a referent’s identity is established indirectly, by means of unconventional names, the discursive functions of which are identified contextually. To be more precise, the attention is focused on mechanisms of fixing references through alterity, locative, and property. Theoretically, this article is based on descriptive semantics, pragmatics, and philosophy of language, whereas the field of investigation to which the study pertains is that of anthroponymy. The corpus analyzed consists of unconventional anthroponymic structures from Romanian public space and from the Bible.

Keywords

• witch persecution
• witch’s familiar
• cat-name
• State of Maine
• Abenaki language
• Maine place-name