DOVILĖ TAMULAITIENĖ Institute of the Lithuanian Language ORCID iD: orcid.org/0000-0002-7990-2968 Research areas: toponymy, accentology. DOI: doi.org/10.35321/all85-11

CONSIDERATIONS ON THE ORIGIN OF THE NAMES OF SEVERAL LITHUANIAN RIVERS AND LAKES

Considerations on the Origin of Several Names of Lithuanian Rivers and Lakes

ABSTRACT

The article discusses new or уточняет existing hypotheses concerning the origin of the hydronyms Mìrglonas || Mìrglius, Mùmelis, Pasõdgiris, Pãtyralis, Pìršėnas, Rūvelỹs, Skérdynas, Skérdžia, Skerdumà || Skerdùmė, Skerdyksnà || Skerdiksnà || Skirdyksnà, Šėkštis, Šėkštė, Šėkštỹs || Šėkštis, Švìlpynė, Ùršulis, Žadãlis, Žãdikė || Žadìkė || Žãdĩkis || Žadìkỹs, Žadupỹs, already analyzed in toponymic studies. Alternative explanations of their origin are proposed on the basis of an analysis of the accentuation of hydronyms, their motivation, toponymic context, and other linguistic data.

KEYWORDS: onomastics, toponymy, origin of hydronyms, motivation of hydronyms, accentuation of hydronyms.

ANNOTATION

The article considers new or revises existing assumptions concerning the origin of the hydronyms Mìrglonas || Mìrglius, Mùmelis, Pasõdgiris, Pãtyralis, Pìršėnas, Rūvelỹs, Skérdynas, Skérdžia, Skerdumà || Skerdùmė, Skerdyksnà || Skerdiksnà || Skirdyksnà, Šėkštis, Šėkštė, Šėkštỹs || Šėkštis, Švìlpynė, Ùršulis, Žadãlis, Žãdikė || Žadìkė || Žãdĩkis || Žadìkỹs, Žadupỹs, which have already been analysed in the previous studies of toponymy. Alternative interpretations of their origin are proposed referring to the analysis of the accentuation and motivation of hydronyms, the toponymic context and other linguistic data.

KEYWORDS: onomastics, toponymy, origin of hydronyms, motivation of hydronyms, accentuation of hydronyms.

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The origin of Lithuanian river and lake names has received considerable attention from linguists both in Lithuania and abroad and has been studied rather extensively. Important contributions to Lithuanian hydronymy include the etymological studies of Kazimieras Būga, Pranas Skardžius, Bronius Savukynas, and other linguists, but hydronyms (their formation, semantics, and origin) were analyzed most extensively in the works of the onomatist Aleksandras Vanagas (1970; 1981; 1981a). In the Etymological Dictionary of Lithuanian Hydronyms prepared by this linguist (1981), the origin of most Lithuanian river and lake names was examined and previous research was summarized.

In current toponymic studies, earlier explanations of the origin of individual hydronyms are being revised, and other possibilities for their origin are being considered, as new data emerge concerning the formation of hydronyms, their relationship with other toponyms, and so on (Bilkis 2006, 2011, 2014; Garliаuskas 2013 et al.).

In investigating accentuation patterns of suffixal hydronyms and the factors that determined them, the hypotheses concerning the formation and origin of hydronyms presented in toponymic studies were carefully evaluated. Examination of hydronyms from various perspectives showed that the origin of some river and lake names could be explained differently from the explanations offered by other researchers (see Tamulaitienė 2020).

The aim of the article is to propose new and refine existing hypotheses concerning the origin of several river and lake names already examined in toponymic studies. After evaluating earlier hypotheses concerning the origin of hydronyms, alternative explanations are considered on the basis of an analysis of hydronym accentuation (and its relationship to the accentuation of base words), motivation, structure, toponymic context, geolinguistic, and other linguistic data. Some data had not previously been recorded by researchers (e.g., some toponyms with the same root) or had received insufficient attention (e.g., hydronym accentuation). The material is analyzed using descriptive-analytical, structural-analysis, comparative, and geolinguistic methods. The analysis of hydronym accentuation is based on the principles of morphophonological accentology.

Mirglonas || Mirglius River. NmŽ (in the maps of Prussia drawn up by C. Hennenberger in the 16th century (1584 and 1595¹),² the form Mirgla^3⁾⁴ is indicated. In the same place, Mirglonai marshes (VK⁵). The river names are derived from Lithuanian mirgėti ‘to shine, to gleam with flickering light;

¹ The article draws on the 1584 map of Prussia and later maps prepared on the basis of C. Hennenberger’s maps, available online (see Hennenberger 1584, 1634, 1638).

² For more details, see https://www.mlimuziejus.lt/lt/mazosios-lietuvos-istorijos-muziejus/mazoji-lietuva-ir-prusija-senuosiuose-zemelapiuose/; https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/hennenbergerio-zemelapiai/.

³ Vanagas (1981: 218) indicates Hartnoch II’s map as the source (perhaps incorrectly).

⁴ Pėteraitis (1992: 126) indicates that it is also called Mirglonė. PKK and Pranas Skardžius (1943: 282) give the form Mirgluonas.

⁵ Recorded in Palendriai (1960) and Degučiai village (1981).

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to move, tremble, shimmer, changing in color or in light and shadow’⁶. Their motivation is associated with the shimmering or brightness of water, or the like (Vanagas 1981: 218; 1981a: 99; Pėteraitis 1992: 126, 203; see also LVvGDB). This possibility of origin is entirely plausible; for motivation, cf. Lithuanian Marã river Kpč (: Baltic *marā– ‘shimmering’) (Mažiulis 2013: 611–612 [=1996: 149–151])⁷, Žibà || Žibãlė river Plng, Žibùlė river Lbv, Žìbilas river Lb (: Lithuanian žibėti ‘to shine with reflected light, to glitter, to radiate’, Lithuanian žibus ‘shiny, radiant’) (Vanagas 1981: 400; 1981a: 100).

Nevertheless, the extended root mirgl–⁸ makes it possible to consider that the hydronyms should primarily be compared with Lithuanian mirgla ‘one who has poor eyesight, a squinter’, Lithuanian mirglinėti ‘to blink, to squint (of the eyes)’, Lithuanian mir̃glinti: “Mir̃glinti is to walk with narrowed eyes” (LKŽe)⁹, and also cf. mirglius¹⁰: “When looking at a person, he would blink very frequently” (Juška 2020), which are in turn associated with mirgėti. For an analogy among personal nouns, cf. Lithuanian mir̃kla ‘one who blinks frequently or pathologically, a blinkard’, Lithuanian mirklõnas, -ė ‘one who constantly blinks, a blinkard’. In that case, the motivation of the river names Mir̃glonas || Mir̃glius could be associated with features of water flow, i.e. a river with a weak current or the like, cf. Pãs­pitris river Šd (: Lithuanian paspitróti ‘to have somewhat poor eyesight’, Lithuanian paspitrỹs ‘rather squinting, having poor eyesight’) (Bilkis 2014: 151)¹¹, Kurtinỹs river Rgv (: Lithuanian kurtìnas ‘deaf’, Lithuanian kurtinãi ‘blindly, completely’) (ibid.)¹², Ãklė rivers Dbg, Imbr, Krš (: Lithuanian ãklas, -à ‘dark; closed, blind’) (Vanagas 1981: 37; LVŽ I: 34–36). Regarding the root accent and acute tone of the hydronyms under discussion (1 a. p.) (LUEV: 104¹³), cf. mirgla (1 a. p.) (LKŽe) (see also Tamulaitienė 2020: 92).

Attention should also be drawn to a possible connection between the hydronyms under discussion and Lithuanian mir̃glyti ‘to drizzle, to sprinkle’ Šll (see LKŽe), recorded in the area of the same dialect¹⁴ in which the river is located. Genetically, this verb is likewise associated with Lithuanian mirgė-

⁶ Unless indicated otherwise, word meanings are taken from the electronic version of the Dictionary of the Lithuanian Language (hereafter LKŽe).

⁷ Vanagas (1981: 204) associates the hydronym with Lithuanian mãrės, mãrios ‘sea’.

⁸ Vanagas classifies the hydronym Mir̃glonas among derivatives with the suffix –onas, but does not discuss the appearance of the consonant l in the root in greater detail (see Vanagas 1970: 188; see also LVvGDB; Skardžius 1943: 282 (where the suffix –uonas is distinguished)).

⁹ For comparison concerning the root mirg-l, Pėteraitis (1992: 126) also indicates the verb mir̃glinti ‘to walk with narrowed eyes < to move while blinking’, as well as mir̃glyti ‘to drizzle, to sprinkle’.

¹⁰ A nickname-based description of a person.

¹¹ Vanagas (1981: 247) considers the hydronym a derivative with the prefix pa– from the personal name Spitris, Spitrỹs.

¹² Vanagas (1981: 175) associates it with Lithuanian kurtinỹs ‘a bird of the grouse family’.

¹³ The variant Mir̃glius is not recorded here.

¹⁴ In the article, dialect boundaries are established on the basis of the maps presented in the Chrestomathy of Lithuanian Dialects (2004).

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to, cf. Latvian mirgot ‘to shimmer, glitter, ripple, shine, sparkle, flash, twinkle; to drizzle, sprinkle, mist, drizzle lightly’, Latvian mirdzināt ‘to make shimmer, make sparkle, make shine; to drizzle, sprinkle’ (LLKŽė). By analogy, cf. the river name Murgālis Klp, which, alongside connections with Latvian murga ‘dirty water, puddle’ (ME 2: 669), Lithuanian murglà ‘thick fog; very fine rain’, Lithuanian murglõtas, –a ‘covered with fine rain, foggy’, and so on (Kiseliūnaitė 2020: 48; Pėteraitis 1992: 127)¹⁵, may be compared with Lithuanian murmėti, mùrga ‘to drizzle, to sprinkle’ Grg. Nevertheless, doubts about a connection between the hydronyms Mìrglonas || Mìrglius and the verb mirglyti are raised by the difference in the tones of their roots.

Mùmelis lake Gl. Also there is Mùmelis meadow.¹⁶ (PKK). Aleksandras Vanagas (1981: 221), while expressing doubt, associates the hydronym with Lithuanian mùmelis ‘a quiet, taciturn person, a silent one; a sluggish, clumsy person’, Lithuanian mùmas ‘a bogeyman; a mute’; perhaps cf. Mumėlė marsh Ps (Bilkis 2008: 114). Of the other onyms containing the root mum—Mumiai forest, village Rt (and Mūmiškė stream Rt¹⁷), Mumiškis stream Šl¹⁸ (VK)—there is more reason to associate them with the personal name Mùmas (Zinkevičius 2008: 119), *Mumis, or the like, cf. the historical personal name Christophori Mumis Ad 1657 (IAK), nickname Mumā Dt (Butkus 1995: 317), although an appellative origin cannot be ruled out either.

The relationship of both the hydronym Mùmelis and the helonym Mumėlė to mùmas, mùmelis is doubtful from the point of view of motivation¹⁹, although analogies exist; cf. Savėlis river Pkr (: Lithuanian savėlis ‘one who is not entirely sane, inattentive, a fool’), Lebedà river Dbk, Pbrd (: Lithuanian lebedà ‘a dazed, clumsy, careless person, a scatterbrain, a lout’) (Vanagas 1981: 292, 184; 1981a: 87, 86). Perhaps a connection with the appellative mùmas is more likely (especially for the name of the marsh), bearing in mind its meaning ‘a bogeyman, a monster for frightening children’. This would be a place (marsh, lake) where mumai or the like are present; cf. the helonyms Vaidùlė marsh Sug, marsh, meadow Skm, meadow An, Čln and the hydronyms Vaidùlė river Dbk, Vaidùlis river Šd, Vaidėnis river Sd (: Lithuanian vaĩdas ‘ghost, apparition, specter’) (Bilkis 2008: 101; Vanagas 1981: 358; see also Vanagas 1981a: 110–111).

The comparison of the hydronym Mùmelis with mùmas, mùmelis also raises some doubts because of the distribution area of the appellatives. According to LKŽė data, these nouns are distributed in the Utena and Panevėžys dialects of Eastern Aukštaitian. Also cf. the same

¹⁵ Vanagas (1981: 221–222) considers the hydronym a derivative of the Germanism mùrgas ‘variegated, a unit of land measurement’.

¹⁶ Most likely, the same object was recorded as a marsh in 1983 (VK).

¹⁷ The hydronym is not recorded in LUEV or in Vanagas’s works. It was recorded in a land-name questionnaire from the interwar period for Stirbiškė village, Rietavas district, Telšiai County (1937).

¹⁸ The hydronym is not recorded in LUEV or in Vanagas’s works. It was recorded in a land-name questionnaire from the interwar period for Žadžiūnai village, Šiauliai County and district (1935). The questionnaire identifies the object as a stream; one of the meanings of this word is ‘river, stream’ (see LKŽė).

¹⁹ The hydronym is classified among hydronyms denoting a physical state of water (Vanagas 1981a: 83–86).

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The root maumas, maumė ‘a bogeyman, a monster for frightening children; a quiet, taciturn person, a silent one’, maumelis, maumė, maumys, maumužas, maumokas ‘a bogeyman, a monster for frightening children’ is widely used in Eastern and Southern Aukštaitian and is known to peripheral Samogitian speakers (LKŽe; see also Jasiūnaitė 2000: 176–177). The hydronym is located in the Western Aukštaitian Kaunas dialect area²⁰ (Suvalkija). The possibility cannot be ruled out that these appellatives were also used in this Lithuanian region.

On the other hand, another hypothesis concerning the origin of the hydronym Mūmelis should be considered. The lake name may be compared with the name of the aquatic plant Lithuanian mūmelė (German Mummel) ‘water lily (Nuphar)’, which is recorded in writings from East Prussia and the Klaipėda Region and in the dictionaries of F. Kurschat and G. H. F. Nesselmann (see LKŽe; see also AK 2: 1438). The Germanism may have been known in Suvalkija (in the vicinity of Gelgaudiškis²¹), which came under Prussia in the eighteenth century (for more details, see VLEe; MLEe). From the perspective of motivation, this would be a lake in which many water lilies or the like grow. Hydronyms associated with plant names are abundant in Lithuania (see Vanagas 1981a: 90–94); cf. the lake names Indrailis lake Ds (: Lithuanian indrė ‘reed’), Lūkštinis lakes Mlt, Smal (: Lithuanian lūkštas ‘water lily’), Švóginas lake Ign (: Lithuanian švógės ‘a type of marsh grass, reeds’) (Vanagas 1981: 130, 198, 338). Regarding hydronym structure, cf. Žiežul-is lake Ktk, Sem, Vrn (: Lithuanian žiežulė ‘a rudd, a small bream’), Lapūk-is lake Rdm (: Lithuanian lapūkas ‘burdock; water lily; marsh marigold; water lily; marsh calla’) (see Vanagas 1970: 65–66). The possibility of an origin from mūmelė (1 a. p.) is also consistent with the fixed stress on the initial syllable of the hydronym Mūmelis (1 a. p.) (LUEV: 106).

Pasódgiris (Pasódgiris²²) river KzR. It is thought that the river name derives from the presumed compound name of some other place (a forest or the like), *Pasod-giris, whose first component would come from Pasóda village < Lithuanian pasóda ‘a plot of land in a forest given to a forester; land on which a homestead stands’ (Vanagas 1981: 247). Analysis of place names collected from living speech shows that the hydronym derives from the name of a meadow or marsh, Pasódgiris. The meadow name was recorded in a land-name questionnaire from the interwar period for Marackai village, Kazlų district (1935)²³, while the helonym

^²⁰ In Western Lithuania, nouns of similar meaning are found: Lithuanian mēmē ‘a quiet, slow, taciturn person, a failure, a fool, a simpleton’, Lithuanian mēmėlis, mēmėlis ‘one who speaks indistinctly, mumbles, a mumbler’ Jrb, Rs, and elsewhere (see LKŽe).

^²¹ It is noteworthy that the Gelgaudiškis estate was acquired in the eighteenth century by the von Keudell baronial family and many Germans moved to the surrounding area (for more details, see https://www.gelgaudiskis.lt/istorija; https://www.mle.lt/straipsniai/papruse).

^²² This is how it is accented by Vanagas (1981: 247) (apparently based on the accentuation of the meadow name Pasóda and the appellative pasóda), but the authenticity of the acute tone is doubtful. LUEV: 119 gives the form Pasódgiris. This accentuation is also attested by living-speech data.

^²³ Recorded by teacher Petronėlė Pajaujytė.

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recorded in a questionnaire from the Jūrė forest district of the same district (1936)²⁴, which states that the marsh²⁵ is near Jūrė village (VK; see also LVvGDB). It is somewhat more likely that the stream took over the name of the meadow located in the same village. However, Marackai and Jūrė villages border each other, so a connection with the marsh name cannot be ruled out. From the point of view of motivation, this would be a stream flowing through (along) a meadow or marsh, P asōdgiris, or the like. It is noteworthy that, in the remarks section of the land-name questionnaire, the recorder of the meadow name noted that “formerly there was a pasoda (forest guard station)” there. Thus, it can be stated that the first component of the onym P asōdgiris derives from the appellative pasodà, rather than from the meadow name Pasóda, as Vanagas thought. Incidentally, the author of the article was unable to record data indicating that a meadow with this name existed in the aforementioned villages or in nearby settlements²⁶.

Pātyralis river. See. The hydronym is considered a derivative with the prefix pa from *Tyralis, which is formed with the diminutive suffix -alis from the meadow name Týrai or Týras (Vanagas 1981: 249). Data in a land-name questionnaire from the Medingėnai estate, Žarėnai district, Telšiai County (1935)²⁷ concerning the location of the river (more precisely, stream²⁸) and other objects make it possible to conclude that the hydronym derives from the name of a nearby forest, Tyralis. It would be a stream that flows past the forest or flows from it. Also cf. Pātyralis river, drainage ditch Žr (VK; see also LVvGDB).

Piršėnas²⁹ lake Blnk³⁰. The hydronym is compared with the hydronyms Peršas lake Srj, Peršėkė river Brb, Peršokšna river Švnčl, Parsvėtas lake Dkšt, and others, which are further associated with Lithuanian pra–parsas, pra–peršà, pró–perša ‘an unfrozen place in ice; a less dense place in a forest’, cf. Old Indic párś–āna– ‘gorge, abyss, precipice’ < Indo-European *perḱ–/*pr̥ḱ–. The root pirš– is to be regarded as the result of Baltic ablaut pars–/perš–/pirš– (Сабукинас 1966: 169–170; Vanagas 1981: 260, 245–246; 1981a: 70).

However, the possibility cannot be ruled out that the lake name Piršėnas is cognate with Lithuanian (pl.) piršys, piršės, piršiai ‘a horse’s breast’, cf. Old Church Slavonic (pl.) prьsi, Polish piersi ‘breast’, which derive from Balto-Slavic *pirši– ‘breast; front’ < Indo-European *perḱ– ‘rib, breast’ < *perk– ‘the same’ (cf. Old Indic pṛṣṭi ‘rib’, etc.); also

24 Recorded by forester Juozas Jurkėnas from Antanas Mitkus. 25 Apparently, the same object is identified as a marsh in a VK card recorded in 1982 (recorded by A. Medžiūtė). 26 The nearest meadow in that area was recorded in Kupreliškiai village (Pilviškiai vicinity) (VK; 1981; recorded by K. Eigminas). Homesteads were also recorded in Gulioniškiai and Karališkė villages (VK; 1982; recorded by O. Arminienė). Nevertheless, the meadow and homesteads are (were) sufficiently far from the objects located in Marackai and Jūrė villages. 27 Recorded by teacher Anelė Laurusevičiūtė from the informant Petras Vitkus. 28 It was recorded that “It flows through the middle of the estate.” 29 Kazimieras Būga (Būga RR 3: 537) recorded the form Piršėnas. 30 In a questionnaire from the interwar period for the Žemaitkiemis forest district, Ukmergė County, the colloquial form of the lake name Piršanka was recorded. Recorded by forester Antanas Lukošiūnas.

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cf. Lithuanian pirštas ‘finger’, Latvian pir(k)sts (Mažiulis 2013: 715 [=1996: 286–287]; Smoczyński 1982: 222–223; see also BEŽK). The appellatives in question are widespread in the western dialects (Samogitian and Western Aukštaitian Kaunas), but the noun piršys is also recorded in the area of the Eastern Aukštaitian Panevėžys dialect (around Smilgiai (Panevėžys district)) (see LKŽe). The appellatives may also have been known in the eastern Lithuanian region where the lake is located. The motivation of the hydronym Piršėnas would be based on its configuration, i.e. a lake that protrudes, lies at the front, is breast-shaped, or the like. There are also other hydronyms compared with body-part names; cf. the lake names Pãpis Rdš (: Lithuanian pãpas ‘breast; nipple; some unevenness, projection’), Pãkalas Lkm (: Lithuanian pãkalas ‘back, buttocks’), Pakalỹs Šv (: Lithuanian pakalỹs ‘buttocks’) (Vanagas 1981: 244, 239; see also 1981a: 65). Perhaps also cf. Piršatis village Kpč (VK). This hypothesis of origin is also supported by the fixed root stress of the hydronym Piršėnas (1 a. p.) (LUEV: 125), which may be associated with the baritone accentuation of piršys, piršės, piršiai (1 a. p.) (LKŽe; for accentuation, see also Tamulaitienė 2020: 117).

Rūvelỹs river Krš. In the same place, Rūveliaĩ village (ATSŽ: 269; VŽe) (formerly also an estate). The hydronym is compared with the onyms Rūveliaĩ (or Rūveliai?) forest Krš, Rūvelė forest Lnk, Rūvelio kálnas hill Žr, Rūveliškė forest, grove Žr, Rūvel̃kas (or Ruzvel̃kos) forest Tt, Prussian Ruwewange (Vanagas 1981: 285). At least some of the place names presented (e.g., Rūvelio kálnas) can be associated with the personal name Rūvelis (LPDB), Ruvėlis, Rūvelas (Zinkevičius 2008: 237, 130), or Lithuanian rūvelis ‘an angry person, swindler; a crybaby’. Vanagas (1981: 285), expressing doubt, associates the river name with the latter appellative, also indicating a meaning not recorded in LKŽe, ‘a thick, obese person’^³¹. The connection with the appellative seems doubtful because of motivation (it is considered a hydronym with a configurational meaning) (Vanagas 1981a: 61). The movable accentuation of the hydronym (3ᵇ a. p.) (LUEV: 140) also contradicts this hypothesis of origin, since the appellative rūvelis has fixed root stress (1 a. p.) (LKŽe). For the same reasons, an origin from the personal name Rūvelis is also highly doubtful. From the perspectives of motivation and structure (including accentuation), a connection of the hydronym with Latvian ruvēties ‘to calm down, become quiet, fall silent’ (ME 3: 565) seems better grounded; cf. Ruvesỹs river Tj (Vanagas 1981: 285).

It may cautiously be considered that the hydronym reflects apheresis of the consonant s and derives from Lithuanian srūti, srūva ‘to flow, stream’, also cf. srūvis ‘flow, flooding’. The loss of s in this case should be regarded as sporadic; cf. Lithuanian tangùs, –ì ‘not yielding to bending or flexing, inflexible; hard, stiff; etc.’ < stangùs, –ì (see Zinkevičius 1966: 178; LKŽe). Motivation associated with the physical state of water (water flow and the like) is particularly characteristic of hydronyms (see Vanagas 1981a: 83–90); cf. Almajà river Lkm, Ãlmajas lake Lkm, Ãlmenas lake Lkm (: Lithuanian almėti

^³¹ The source indicated is the card index of the Dictionary of the Lithuanian Language.

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‘to seep slowly, drip, suppurate; to flow slowly’), Sálva || Salvùkas river Bsg, Sálvis river Pkr (: Lithuanian salvėti ‘to flow slowly, seep’) (Vanagas 1981: 39, 289; Savukynas 1960: 294; LVŽ 1: 75–76). Regarding hydronym structure and movable accentuation, cf. Metelỹs 3ᵇ lake Srj, Temelỹs 3ᵇ river Gdž (Vanagas 1970: 124; LUEV: 102, 172; for accentuation, see also Tamulaitienė 2020: 61).

Skérdynas river Kv, Skérdžia river Mlt, Skerdumà || Skerdùmė river Krk, Skerdeksnà || Skerdiksnà || Skirdyksnà river Pbrd. The origin of the hydronym Skérdynas (in the same place, Skérdynai village³² (ATŠŽ: 279; VŽe)) is considered not entirely clear. In view of the popularity of derivatives with skerdyn-, cf. Skerdýnas marsh Pkr, Skerdýnbalė marsh Rk, Skerdýnė marsh, meadow PŠl, Plk, Pn, forest Dj, Skerdýnės meadow Vdk, marsh Rd³³, Vanagas (1981: 302) considers that there may have been a physiographic term *skerdynas ‘slaughtering’ or the like, cf. skerdimas ‘a cleared area in a forest, a clearing’, which is further associated with the Lithuanian verb skęrsti *‘to cut down trees, to cut shrubs or the like’ (see also Kazlauskas 1968: 61). This etymological hypothesis seems plausible, but the different tones of the roots of the hydronym and the verb raise questions. It may be considered that the acute tone of the root in the hydronym Skérdynas arose through the accentual analogy of the Lithuanian verb skérdėti, -ėja (-i), -ėjo ‘to become rough, crack, fissure, chap; to split, crack (of skin)’, also recorded in Kvedarna (see LKŽe). Nor can it be ruled out that this verb should generally be regarded as the base word of the river name Skérdynas; cf. also skerdynas ‘a severely cracked place’ (see also Tamulaitienė 2020: 47). Rather than with the verb skęrsti (Vanagas 1981: 302–303; 1981a: 71; Kazlauskas 1968: 61), the river names (or at least some of them) Skérdžia, Skerdumà || Skerdùmė, Skerdeksnà || Skerdiksnà || Skirdyksnà could be associated with skérdėti. This possibility concerning the origin of the latter hydronym is supported by the form Skirdyksnà, whose root skird- cf. Lithuanian skírsti, skírdo ‘to become rough, crack, fissure, chap; to split, crack (of skin)’, Lithuanian skirdýnas ‘a severely cracked place’, Lithuanian skirdùs, -ì ‘becoming cracked, brittle’, Lithuanian skirdà ‘a cracked place in the skin; a vertical crack in a loaf of bread’. In this case of origin, regarding the motivation of the hydronyms, cf. the hydronyms Skírstupis river Prnv, Skírštupelis river Škn, Skirziùs lake Lp (: Lithuanian skírsti, skírdo) (Vanagas 1981: 304; 1981a: 61).

Vanagas (1981: 328), expressing doubt, primarily associates the hydronyms Šėkštis lake Als, Šėkštė river Stlp, Šėkštys || Šėkštis river Krš with Lithuanian šėkštis ‘a fork with bent tines for scooping chaff’³⁴ (see also Būga RR 2: 314). This possibility of origin allows

32 In a land-name questionnaire for this village (1935; recorded by teacher Marija Jagminaitė), the compound hydronym form Skerdynų upelis should be considered secondary, arising from the village name Skerdynai.

33 For helonyms, see also Bilkis 2008: 183, 184.

34 On the other hand, it is further compared with Šiekštas lake JnšM (ibid.).

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be better supported by the meaning of the appellative, not recorded by Vanagas,³⁵ ‘a branched stick; a forked stick used as a support; a prop’; also cf. šėkštė ‘a long pole’. The motivation would be based on the configuration of the lake and rivers (branching or the like), cf. Šakarnė river Brž, Šakarnis river Ps (: Lithuanian šakarnis ‘branched’), Luknà rivers Kl, Rdš, Skm, Vžns, Lūknis lake Al, and others (: Lithuanian lùknas ‘whose antlers extend sideways’) (Vanagas 1981: 324, 197; 1981a: 62, 59).

Švilpynė river. Erž. In the card file of place names collected from living speech, more than 70 place names containing the root švilp have been recorded, e.g., Švilpa meadow, meadow Brž, Švilpinė ploughed field Šauk, hill Tt, Švilpynė swamp Rs, village Jrb, field Klm, forest Stč, Šil, and others. At least some of them (especially land names) can be related to Lithuanian švilpti ‘to produce a sound with the lips, a whistle, or something else; to chirp continuously; to fly or glide through the air with a buzzing sound’. In works on toponymy, the place names Švilpė river Kv (Vanagas 1970: 61; cf. Vanagas 1981: 338) and Švilpiškė³⁶ bog Slk (Bilkis 2008: 86; see also LVvGDB) are derived from this verb without questioning the possibility of such an origin. The motivation of the hydronym Švilpė is supported by other hydronyms of the same structure associated with verbs denoting the production of sound, cf. Kliùkė river Nmk (: Lithuanian kliùkėti ‘to shout, call’), Kniaukė river Trš (: Lithuanian kniaukti ‘to meow, shout’), Krokštė river Onš (: Lithuanian krõkšti ‘to roar’) and the like (Vanagas 1970: 60–61; 1981: 160, 161, 167). Data from living speech also testify to a possible connection between place names and švilpti, e.g., on the VK card (1978), next to the mountain name Švilpiakalnis Dbg, the note “nothing grows, the wind whistles”³⁷ was written. Nevertheless, the origin of the hydronym Švilpynė river Erž (cf. Švilpė river Kv) (Vanagas 1981: 338; 1970: 167) and the helonym Švilpynė swamp Kž (cf. Švilpa bog Žml) (Bilkis 2008: 189) is considered not entirely clear; the connection with švilpti is assessed cautiously.

Comparing the river name Švilpynė with švilpti raises doubts because of the difference in the accentual tone of the verb and the hydronym’s root. The onym Švilpė river Kv (LUEV, 170; Vanagas 1981: 338), Švilpa bog Žml, meadow Brž, ploughed field Rgy (Vanagas 1981: 338) also has an acute accent in the root; however, this was apparently caused by metatony characteristic of derivatives with inflectional endings, cf. švilpa ‘whistle; one who whistles, whistler’. A change in the root accentual tone is not characteristic of derivatives with the suffix –ynė. It is possible that the acute accent in the river name Švilpynė arose through an analogy with the accentuation of the derived verbs švilpauti, švilpuoti, švilpiuoti ‘to whistle intermittently (usually while performing some melody); to chirp continuously or intermittently’, the noun švilpa, or the like. The hydronym could also be compared with the acute-root Lithuanian verb švilpti, –sta (?,) –o ‘to produce a high-pitched, shrill sound’, but its area of usage is unclear; LKŽe provides

^³⁵ Perhaps no data about them were available.

^³⁶ The name of the bog may also be compared with the personal name Švilpa, Švilpà (Bilkis 2008: 86; see also LVvGDB).

^³⁷ The card was recorded by Petkutė and Pėstiniakaitė.

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only examples of sužvilpti from eastern Lithuania. The hydronym lies within the area of the southern Samogitian Raseiniai dialect.

However, it is most likely that the river name Šuilpynė is associated not with the verb švilpti, but with the plant names Lithuanian švilpas ‘horsetail’ or Lithuanian švilpis, švilpis ‘cattail (Typha)’, cf. also švilpūkas ‘horsetail’. According to LKŽe, the appellatives in question are known in western Lithuanian dialects (around Alksnėnai, Geistarai (Vilkaviškis district), Rusnė, Kintai (Šilutė district)). The Lithuanianism die Schwilp (Lithuanian švilpas) is also recorded in the German Klaipėda dialect: die Schwilp wächst am Haf­frand [švilpai auga pamaryje] (see MLEe). This etymological hypothesis is greatly strengthened by the hydronym’s motivation as well—it would be a river in which many švilpai (švilpiai) grow. Hydronyms containing the suffix -ynė are often associated with plant names³⁸, cf. the river names Ajerynė Jsv (: Lithuanian ajeras ‘a marsh plant with long, strongly scented leaves’, cf. ajerynė), Lendrynė Vnd (: Lithuanian lėndrė ‘a water plant of the grass family with a long hollow stem, common reed’, cf. lendrynė), Traušynė Krp (: Lithuanian traušis, traušys ‘horsetail’) (see Vanagas 1981: 36, 186, 347; 1970: 43–44; see also Vanagas 1981a: 90–94; LVŽ 1: 29–30). The connection with the appellatives (especially with švilpas) is also confirmed by the constant stress and acute tone of the hydronym’s root (see also Tamulaitienė 2020: 70).

Uršulis river Skm. The hydronym Uršulis is considered a relatively recent name and is associated with the personal name Uršulė, cf. Uršulės kėlnės, the bed of a dried-up stream (Vanagas 1981: 355; see also Vanagas 1981a: 33)³⁹. However, a connection between the river name Uršulis and Lithuanian uršti (urščia, uršia) ‘to growl angrily; buzz, drone; be angry, grumble, mutter; make noise, roar, thunder’, also recorded in eastern Lithuania (see LKŽe), is possible; cf. also Lithuanian uršus, -i ‘angry, fierce, harsh; fast’. The oronym Uršė hill Jnš is associated with the aforementioned verb (Bartkutė 2007: 35–36)⁴⁰. The place names Urša forest, upland⁴¹ Žl should apparently also be regarded as having this origin (VK). The motivation of the hydronyms would be related to a rapid, noisy flow of water or the like, cf. the hydronyms Ūrka river Vnd, Ūrkis lake Mrk, Ūrkupis river Mrs, Ūrkupis river Tl (: Lithuanian urkioti ‘to scold, chase, or torment constantly and annoyingly’, Latvian urkt ‘to growl’), Trinkulis river, lake Nmč (: Lithuanian trinkėti ‘to rattle, rumble’) (Vanagas 1981: 355, 348; 1981a: 115).

It is thought that the hydronyms Žadalis river Šil, Žadikė || Žadikė || Žadikis || Žadikýš river Pšš, Žadupys river Aln may, in the sense of a stream’s swiftness and vitality, be associated with Lithuanian žadinti ‘to tell someone to get up (usually from sleep), awaken’ (Vanagas 1981: 395–396;

³⁸ Vanagas (1970: 43) considers most hydronyms containing the suffix –ynė to be primary, derived from suffixed appellatives. ³⁹ In an earlier work, it is derived from the personal name Uršulis (Vanagas 1970: 48). ⁴⁰ Renata Endzelytė (2005: 140) associates the oronym with the unattested personal name *Uršys. ⁴¹ The stream name is not recorded in LUEV or in A. Vanagas’s works.

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1981a: 90). However, considering the structure of the hydronyms, there is more basis for associating them not with the aforementioned suffixed verb, but with Lithuanian žadas ‘voice, sound, noise’ (see also Tamulaitienė 2020: 87). In that case, the motivation would be related to the loudness or noisiness of the current, cf. the meaning ‘the roar of the sea’ of the appellative žadas in Plng, and the river name Girstupỹs || Girstupis Kn (: Lithuanian gīrdas ‘news, rumor’, Lithuanian gerdas ‘sound, news, rumor’, Lithuanian iš-girsti) (Vanagas 1981: 117; LVŽ 3: 209).

CONCLUSIONS

The hydronyms Mirglonas || Mirglius river NmŽ are associated with Lithuanian mirgėti ‘to shine, gleam with flickering light; to move, quiver, ripple, with colors or light and shadows alternating’, but the extended root mirgl makes it possible to consider comparison with Lithuanian mirgla ‘one with poor eyesight, squinter’, Lithuanian mirglinėti ‘to blink, squint (of the eyes)’, Lithuanian mir̃glinti: “Mirglinti yra eiti prisimerkus” ‘to walk squinting’ as a possibility. Nor can a connection between the river names and Lithuanian mir̃glyti ‘to drizzle, sprinkle’ be ruled out.

The connection of the lake name Mūmelis G1 with Lithuanian mūmelis ‘a quiet, taciturn person, a silent one; a sluggish, clumsy person’, Lithuanian mūmas ‘a dullard; a mute’ raises doubts because of the motivation and the area of distribution of the appellatives. It should be considered that the hydronym may be compared with Lithuanian mūmelė (German Mummel) ‘yellow water-lily (Nuphar)’.

It is presumed that the hydronym Pasōdgiris river KzR derives from another place name *Pasod-giris. Data from the onomastic material collected during the interwar period make it possible to refine this hypothesis and derive the river name from the name of a meadow or marsh Pasōdgiris.

Data from the land-name questionnaires show that the stream name Pātyralis Žr derives not from the meadow name Týrai or Týras’s diminutive form *Tyralis, but from the name of a nearby forest Tyralis.

The connection of the lake name Piršėnas Blnk with Lithuanian prā–paršas, pra–peršà, pró–perša ‘an unfrozen place in ice; a less dense place in a forest’ (< Indo-European *perḱ–/*pr̥ḱ–) is convincing. However, the possibility of a connection with Lithuanian (plural) piršys, piršės ‘a horse’s chest’ < Baltic-Slavic *piršī– ‘chest; front’ < Indo-European *perḱ– ‘rib, chest’ < *perk– ‘the same’ should also be considered.

The connection of the hydronym Rūvelỹs river Krš with Lithuanian rūvelis ‘an angry person, swindler; a crybaby’ or the personal name Rūvelis is doubtful. The possibility that the river name derives from Latvian ru-vēties ‘to calm down, fall silent, become quiet’ is better founded. It may cautiously be considered that the hydronym could derive from Lithuanian srūti, srūva ‘to flow, stream’.

The hydronym Skėrdynas river Kv is derived from Lithuanian *skerdynas ‘slaughtering’ < Lithuanian sker̃sti ‘to cut down trees, cut bushes, or the like’; however, the river name’s accentuation allows us to consider that its base word is the Lithuanian verb skerdėti, –ėja (–i), –ėjo ‘to creak, split, crack, cleave; to split, crack (of skin)’. The hydronyms Skėrdžia river Mlt, Skerdumà || Skerdūmė river Krk, Skerdyksnà || Skerdiksnà || Skirdyksnà river Pbrd may likewise be associated with the latter verb.

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The previously proposed possibility that the hydronyms Šeškėtis lake Als, Šeškėtė river Stlp, Šeškėtys || Šeškėtis river Krš derive from Lithuanian šeškatis ‘a fork with bent prongs for scooping grain’ can be better substantiated by the appellative’s meaning ‘a branched stick; a forked stick used as a prop; spyrýs’.

The connection of the river name Švilpynė Erž with Lithuanian švilpti ‘to produce a sound with the lips, a whistle, or something else; to chirp continuously; to fly or glide through the air with a buzzing sound’ raises doubts because of the difference in the accentual tone of the verb and the hydronym’s root. It is more likely that the hydronym derives from Lithuanian švilpas ‘horsetail’ or Lithuanian švilpis, švilpis ‘cattail (Typha)’.

The hydronym Uršulis river Skm is associated with the personal name Uršulė. However, a connection between the river name and Lithuanian uršti ‘to growl angrily; buzz, drone; be angry, grumble, mutter; make noise, roar, thunder’ is also possible.

Because of their structure, the hydronyms Žadalis river Šll, Žadikė || Žadikė || Žadikis || Žadikỹs river Pšš, Žadupỹs river Aln are better associated not with the suffixed verb Lithuanian žadinti ‘to tell someone to get up (usually from sleep), awaken’, but with Lithuanian žadas ‘voice, sound, noise’.

ABBREVIATIONS FOR OBJECT REFERENCES AND OTHER ABBREVIATIONS

a. – age a. p. – accentual paradigm ar. – ploughed field, arable land avd. – personal name b. – bog balt. – Baltic balt.-sl. – Baltic-Slavic dr. – field drp. – peat bog ež. – lake gn. – pasture ide. – Indo-European ist. avd. – historical personal name k. – village kln. – hill kt. – other, others l. – field la. – Latvian le. – Polish liet. – Lithuanian ln. – fen

m. – year mš. – forest pan. – similarly pl. – pluralis (plural) plg. – compare plk. – swamp ppr. – usually pr. – Prussian prvd. – nickname pv. – meadow pvz. – for example r. – district rst. – marsh s. i. – Old Indian s. sl. – Old Slavic t. p. – likewise up. – river upl. – stream vo. – German žr. – see

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ABBREVIATIONS FOR LOCALIZATION REFERENCES

Ad – Adutiškis (Švenčionys district) Al – Alytus Aln – Alantà (Molėtai district) Als – Alsėdžiai (Plungė district) An – Anykščiai Blnk – Balninkai (Molėtai district) Brb – Balbieriškis (Prienai district) Brž – Biržai Bsg – Baisógala (Radviliškis district) Čln – Čiulėnai (Molėtai district) Dbg – Dubingiai (Molėtai district) Dbk – Debeikiai (Anykščiai district) Di – Daujėnai (Pasvalys district) Dkšt – Dūkštas (Ignalina district) Ds – Dusetos (Zarasai district) Dt – Dotnuvà (Kėdainiai district) Erž – Eržvilkas (Jurbarkas district) Gdž – Gudžiūnai (Kėdainiai district) Gl – Gelgaudiškis (Šakiai district) Grg – Gargždai (Klaipėda district) Ign – Ignalina Imbr – Imbradas (Zarasai district) Jnš – Joniškis JnšM – Joniškis (Molėtai district) Jrb – Jurbarkas Jsv – Josvainiai (Kėdainiai district) Kl – Kuliai (Plungė district) Kln – Kel̃mė Klp – Klaipėda Kn – Kaunas Kpč – Kápčiamies­tis (Lazdijai district) Krk – Krãkės (Kėdainiai district) Krp – Kruopiai (Akmenė district) Krš – Kuršėnai (Šiauliai district) Ktk – Kukt̃iškės (Utena district) Kv – Kvėdarna (Šilalė district) KzR – Kazlų Rūdà Kž – Kužiai (Šiauliai district) Lb – Labguvà (Polesk; Kaliningrad region)

Lbv – Liubãvas (Kalvarija municipality) Lkm – Liñkmenys (Ignalina district) Lnkv – Linkuvà (Pakruojis district) Lp – Lėipalingis (Druskininkai municipality) Mlt – Molėtai Mrk – Merkinė (Varėna district) Mrs – Mirõslavas (Alytus district) Nmč – Nemenčinė (Vilnius district) Nmk – Nemãkščiai (Raseiniai district) NmŽ – Žemaičių Naũmiestis (Šilutė district) Onš – Õnuškis (Trakai district) Pbrd – Pabradė (Švenčionys district) Pkr – Pakruojis Plk – Plõkščiai (Šakiai district) Pln – Plungė Plng – Palangà Pn – Panevežys Prnv – Pérnarava (Kėdainiai district) Ps – Pasvalys Pšl – Pūšalotas (Pasvalys district) Pšš – Pašùšvys (Radviliškis district) Rd – Radviliškis Rdm – Rudaminà (Lazdijai district) Rdš – Rūdiškės (Trakai district) Rgv – Raguva (Panevėžys district) Rk – Rõkiškis Rs – Raseiniai Rt – Rietãvas (Plungė district) Sd – Sedà (Mažeikiai district) Sem – Semeliškės (Elektrėnai municipality) Skm – Skiemõnys (Anykščiai district) Slk – Sãlakas (Zarasai district) Smal – Smãlvos (Zarasai district) Srj – Seirijai (Lazdijai district) Stč – Staciūnai (Pakruojis district) Stlp – Stãlupėnai (Nesterov; Kaliningrad region)

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Sug – Suginčiai (Molėtai district) Šauk – Šaukėnai (Kelmė district) Šd – Šeduva (Radviliškis district) Škn – Šakyna (Šiauliai district) Šl – Šiauliai Šll – Šilalė Šv – Švėkšna (Šilutė district) Švnčl – Švenčionėliai (Švenčionys district) Tj – Taujėnai (Ukmergė district)

Tl – Telšiai Trš – Tryškiai (Telšiai district) Tt – Tytuvėnai (Kelmė district) Vdk – Viduklė (Raseiniai district) Vnd – Vandžiogala (Kaunas district) Vrn – Varėna Vžns – Vyžuonos (Utena district) Žl – Želva (Ukmergė district) Žml – Žeimelis (Pakruojis district) Žr – Žarėnai (Telšiai district)

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e. variantas, Vilnius: Lietuvių kalbos institutas, 2008 (atnaujinta versija, 2017). Prieiga internete: https://ekalba.lt/lietuviu-kalbos-zodynas.

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Pasvarstymai dėl kelių lietuvių upių ir ežerų vardų kilmės

Considerations on the Origin of Several Names of Lithuanian Rivers and Lakes

SUMMARY

Based on the analysis of the accentuation and motivation of hydronyms as well as their links with other toponyms, the article considers new or revises existing possibilities concerning the origin of several hydronyms, which have already been addressed in toponymic studies.

The hydronyms Mìrglonas || Mir̃glius (a river in Žemaičių Naumiestis) are linked with Lith. mirgėti ‘to shine, twinkle; to move, vibrate, sparkle with changing colours or light and shadows’, but the expanded root mirglentails a possibility of comparison with Lith. mir̃gla ‘someone who does not see well, a weak-sighted person’, Lith. mir̃glinėti ‘to look with the eyes partly closed, squint’, Lith. mir̃glinti ‘to go with the eyes partly closed’. The link between the river names and Lith. mir̃glyti ‘to rain lightly, drizzle’ should not be rejected as well.

The etymological connection between the lake name Mùmelis (Gelgaudiškis) and Lith. mùmelis ‘a silent, incommunicative, reserved person; a lazy, clumsy person’, Lith. mùmas ‘a silent, dumb person’ raises certain doubts as to the motivation and the distribution area of the appellatives. It is considered whether the hydronym could be related to Lith. mùmelė (Ger. Mummel) ‘Nuphar’.

Presumably, the hydronym Pasõdgiris (a river in Kazlų Rūda) derives from the name of another place *Pasod-giris. The data on proper names collected during the interwar period enable us to revise this assumption and to trace the river name to the meadow or marsh name Pasõdgiris.

The data from the Land Names Questionnaires show that the river name Pātyralis (Žarėnai) does not derive from the diminutive form *Tyralis of the meadow name Týrai or Týras but from the name of the nearby forest Tyralis.

The etymological link between the lake name Pir̃šenas (Balninkai) and Lith. prā-paršas, pra-peršà, pró-perša ‘an unfrozen crack in the ice; an open place in a forest’ (< IE *perḱ-/*pr̥ḱ-) is convincing. However, the possible link with Lith. (pl.) pir̃šys, pir̃šės ‘a horse’s chest’ < Balt.-Slav. *pirši- ‘chest; front’ < IE *perḱ- ‘rib, chest’ < *perḱ- ‘idem’ is worthy of consideration.

The connection between the hydronym Rūvel̃ys (a river in Kuršėnai) and Lith. rūvelis ‘an angry person, cheat; weeper’ or the personal name Rūvelis is doubtful. The possibility of tracing it to Lat. ruvēties ‘to calm down, become quiet’ is more likely. We can carefully consider that the hydronym may have originated from Lith. srūti, srūva ‘to trickle, flow’.

The hydronym Skérdynas (a river in Kvėdarna) is traced to Lith. *skerdynas ‘slaughter’ < Lith. sker̃sti ‘to slaughter, disembowel’, but the accentuation of the river name allows us to consider the Lithuanian verb skerdėti, -ėja (–i), -ėjo ‘to crack, chap; to get chapped (about

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skin)’ to be the base word. The hydronyms Skėrdžia (a river in Molėtai), Skerdumà || Skerdùmė (a river in Krakės), Skerdyksnà || Skerdiksnà || Skirdyksnà (a river in Pabradė) may also be etymologically related to the latter verb.

The possibility of tracing the hydronyms Šėkštis (a lake in Alsėdžiai), Šėkštė (a river in Stalūpėnai), Šėkštỹs || Šėkštis (a river in Kuršėnai) to Lith. šėkštis ‘a fork with hooked prongs for raising chaff’, which has previously been raised, is further supported by the meanings of the proper name ‘a branched pole; a forked pole for propping up something; prop’.

The link between the river name Šuilpynė (Eržvilkas) and Lith. šuil̃pti ‘to produce sound by lips, a whistle or in another way; to chirp continuously; to move quickly through the air with a whistling sound’ raises doubts as to the difference between the root accent of the verb and the hydronym. It is more likely that the hydronym derives from Lith. šuil̃pas ‘horsetail’ or Lith. šuil̃pis, šuil̃pis ‘Typha’.

The hydronym Uršùlis (a river in Skiemonys) is associated with the personal name Uršūlė. However, the link between the river name and Lith. ur̃šti ‘to growl angrily; to buzz, hum; to be angry, grumble; to raise noise, bluster, din’ is also possible.

Due to their structure, there are more grounds to associate the hydronyms Žadãlis (a river in Šilalė), Žãdikė || Žãdikė || Žãdikis || Žãdikỹs (a river in Pašusvys), Žadupỹs (a river in Alanta) with Lith. žãdas ‘voice, speech, sound’ rather than the prefixed Lithuanian verb žadinti ‘to wake someone up’.

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Lietuvių kalbos institutas

Petro Vileišio g. 5, LT-10308 Vilnius, Lietuva

[email protected]

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