Końska mięta (Mentha arvensis), kobyli szczaw (Rumex obtusifolius) i krowi mlecz (Taraxacum officinale)

Abstract

Field Mint [Polish: “Horse Mint”] (Mentha arvensis), Curly Dock [Polish: “Mare Dock”] (Rumex obtusifolius) and Dandelion [Polish: “Cow Dandelion”] (Taraxacum officinale). On the Names of Farm Animals in Folk Phytonyms The subject of the article are folk phytonyms with an animal component. While analyzing the “animal” names of plants in the cultural context, the author reaches for so-called “co-linguistic data” (i.e. folk knowledge, beliefs and practices) related to animals and plants. Also, she arranges the phytonyms according to the semantic criterion, distinguishing the names of plants motivated by: (1) the animal’s appearance and (2) the appearance of the animal’s body parts, (3) animals’ smells, (4) the use of a plant as animal food, (5) the way in which the plant is used in folk magic and (6) in folk veterinary medicine. The analysis of dialectal names of plants in the cultural context makes it possible to consider the status of the animal part of the name. On the basis of her analyses, the author proves that both in the case of complex plant names and noun derivatives, the animal part of the name becomes “independent” in terms of a meaning and adopts qualitative meanings such as “big, great”, “dedicated to an animal (as food or medicine)”, “worse, useless for a human being”.

Keywords

• etnolingwistyka
• fitonimy
• nazwy zwierząt
• motywacja słowotwórcza
• derywat asocjacyjny (onomazjologiczny)