ACTA LINGUISTICA LITHUANICA

LIETUVIŲ KALBOTYROS KLAUSIMAI XLI (1999)

Daiva DELTUVIENĖ

Vilnius University

ON THE PLACE NAMES OF MINOR LITHUANIA

WITH -KEHMEN / -KEIMEN AND -LAUKEN

Recently, scholars from various fields have increasingly turned their attention to Minor Lithuania. The object of toponymic research is the abundant Lithuanian (partly Baltic) place names of this territory. The origin of place names in Minor Lithuania has been studied by F. Hoppe (Hoppe 1877), O. Natau (Natau 1937), W. Fenzlau (Fenzlau 1936), V. Pėteraitis (Pėteraitis 1997), and others.

The material used in this article was collected from East Prussian folios held in the Secret Prussian State Archives in Berlin. The place names discussed could not be found in any lists or reference works of East Prussian place names. This is unique material that can provide much information about the Lithuania Minor inhabitants, their language, their life at the time, and their relations with the other peoples living there.

The article discusses compound oikonyms from the 16th–17th centuries whose second element is -keh­men / -keimen (Lith. kiemas ‘a separate rural homestead, farm; village, hamlet’ LKŽ V 748; kaimas ‘a rural settlement; hamlet’ LKŽ V 54) and -lauken (Lith. laukas ‘an open, treeless area; cultivated land; village, hamlet’ LKŽ VII 177).

According to the origin of the first element, compounds whose second element is -keh­men / -keimen can be divided into several groups.

1. Lithuanian personal name + kiemas / kaimas:

Drutʒkeimenn (Amt Insterburg) 1564 (Ostpr. Fol. 4599 99), Drudtschkeh­men 1642–1664 (Ostpr. Fol. 4610 66), Druʒkehmen 1642–1664 (Ostpr. Fol. 4610 81): probably Lith. *Druckiemiai / *Druckiemis or *Druckaimiai / *Druckaimis. From the personal name Drūčas or Drūčkus: drūčkis ‘a fat person or animal’ (LPŽ I 529). Compare also the place names Drutschellen, Drutschlauken (Goldbeck II 44).

Gerkischkeinenn (Amt Insterburg) 1564 (Ostpr. Fol. 4599 55): the Lithuanian form would be *Gerkiškaimis / *Gerkiškaimiai. The first element is a derivative with the suffix -išk- from the personal name Gérkis, Gérkė (LPŽ I 656) or from the Prussian personal name Gerke, Gerko (Trautmann 1925: 31). However, a German origin for the personal name is also possible¹.

Kostangkehmen (Amt Insterburg) 1642–1664 (Ostpr. Fol. 4610 6): *Kostankiemis / *Kostankiemiai. From the personal name Kastántas (: Konstántas LVKŽ 222). After k, which follows

¹ Plg. vok. avd. Gerke, Gehrke (Bach 1974: 71).

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čios žodžio pradžioje, a gali būti keičiama į o (Fenzlau 1936: 22–23), pvz., Korallischken (Karališkiai), Kollaten (Kalotė).

Kurschekmen (Amt Insterburg) 1642–1664 (Ostpr. Fol. 4610 172): probably Lithuanian place name *Kuršk iemis / *Kuršk iemiai. From the personal names Kurszus, Kurszys, Kurszaitis, Kurszatis, Kurszis (Kalwaitis 1910: 13). F. Hoppe likewise derives place names with the stem Kursz- or Kursch- from the personal names Kurszus, Kurszies, Kurszat, Kurschat (Hoppe 1877: 407–408).

Meschkakehmen (Amt Insterburg) 1642–1664 (Ostpr. Fol. 4610 148): Lithuanian place name *Meškakiemis / *Meškakiemiai. This may be a compound of the personal name Meška: meška “bear; an awkward, ungainly, heavy, corpulent person” (LPŽ II 212) and the appellative kiemas. Cf. also the personal names Meszka, Meszkatis, Meszkis, Meszkys (Kalwaitis 1910: 14).

Pluβkehmen (Amt Insterburg) 1642–1664 (Ostpr. Fol. 4610 58): *Pliuskkiemis / *Pliuskkiemiai or *Pliuškkiemis / *Pliuškkiemiai. From the personal names Pliuš kis, Pliuskỹs, Pliuskà, Pliùškus: pliùškė “a chip, splinter, fragment; something flattened, flat” or Pliùškis, Pliuškỹs, Pliùškus: pliùškis “a dandy, fop; a frivolous, flighty, dissolute person; someone who talks nonsense, blabs everything, a chatterbox” (LPŽ II 479). Cf. also the personal names Pluszis, Pluszys (Kalwaitis 1910: 15).

G. Gerulis discusses the Old Prussian place name Pluselawken 1419, whose origin he explains as follows: Lithuanian pliušė + Old Prussian laucks (Gerullis 1922: 216). F. Hoppe also considers the first element to be of Lithuanian origin—from plusze, pluszis “Schnittgras” (Hoppe 1877: 411). However, the possibility that the first element is of personal-name origin should not be ruled out, since most compound place names in Lithuania Minor were formed from the inhabitants’ surnames (Pėteraitis 1997: 15).

Pruβelkehmen (Amt Insterburg) 1642–1664 (Ostpr. Fol. 4610 57), Pruβelkehmen 1687 (Ostpr. Fol. 4627 14): *Prus elkiemis / *Prus elkiemiai. Cf. the personal names Prusáitis, Prūsáitis, Prūsas, Prusėlis, Prūsėlis (LPŽ II 519).

Skahnkehmen (Amt Insterburg) 1642–1664 (Ostpr. Fol. 4610 106): the Lithuanian form would be *Skankiemis / *Skankiemiai. From the personal name Skãnas: skãnas “tasty; having a good flavor, delicious” (LPŽ II 730).

Stulgkehmen (Amt Insterburg) 1642–1664 (Ostpr. Fol. 4610 57): *Stulgkiemis / *Stulgkiemiai. From the personal names Stulgà, Stùlgas, Stulgỹs, Stūlgis: stulgỹs “a green sandpiper (Tringa ochropus); a screamer”; stulgùs “oblong-rounded, oval; proud, conceited” (LPŽ II 845–846). Cf. also the personal names Stulgies, Stulgait, Stulgeries (Hoppe 1877: 417) and Stulgys (Kalwaitis 1910: 17).

Schmülkehmen (Amt Insterburg) 1642–1664 (Ostpr. Fol. 4610 59), Sзmulkehmen 1642–1664 (Ostpr. Fol. 4610 65), Smulkehmen 1642–1664 (Ostpr. Fol. 4610 79): *Smulkk iemis / *Smulkk iemiai. From the personal names Smulkys (Kalwaitis 1910: 17), Smulkà, Smùlkis, Smulkỹs: smulkùs “made up of small particles, grains; small in size or dimensions; thin, etc.” (LPŽ II 772) or Šmùlis, Šmuilỹs, which derive from the Hebrew-origin Christian name Samuelis; cf. German Schmuel: Samuel, Schmu(h)l: Samuel (LPŽ II 963). Cf. also the place name Schmulkehlen, Schmul-

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ken (Goldbeck II 144). In the variants Sȝmulkēhmen ir Schmülkehmen, Lithuanian s is changed to š. In W. Fenzlau’s view, this is influenced by a feature of German (both Low German and High German) pronunciation: pronouncing [š] before other consonants. In his opinion, High Germans most often preserve Lithuanian [š], whereas Low Germans change it to [ž] (Fenzlau 1936: 80). More such variants can be found: Schmeilen – Smailen, Schmaleduhmen – Smalleduhmen, Smilgen – Schmilgen, etc. (Peteraitis 1997: 360–361).

Another possible etymology of the place name is from the adjective smulkūs + kiēmas, cf. Lithuanian place names Schwentakemen (1590; Barkowski 1928: 34): šventas + kiēmas, Szemkehmen (1785; Goldbeck II 211): žemas + kiēmas. This type of place-name formation is familiar in Lithuanian and Latvian onomastics; cf. the Lithuanian place names Aukštālaukiai, Aukštālaukis (LAŽ II 17).

2. German personal name + kiemas:

Bernigkehmen (Amt Insterburg) 1642–1664 (Ostpr. Fol. 4610 149): *Bernikiemis / *Bernik iemiai. The first component derives from the German personal name Bernick(e) (Förstemann 1900: 259; Heintze 1933: 136). The possibility that this personal name is of Polish origin cannot be ruled out either².

Dedekehmen (Amt Insterburg) 1642–1664 (Ostpr. Fol. 4610 124): *Dedekiemis / *Dedekiemiai. From the German personal name Dede (: Theodulf) (Gottschald 1954: 232). Cf. also the place name Dedewethenn (1557; Barkowski 1928: 232). A connection with the Lithuanian personal name Dėdỹs (LPŽ I 478) is also possible.

3. Polish personal name + kiemas:

Wallnigkehmen (Amt Insterburg) 1642–1664 (Ostpr. Fol. 4610 41): *Valnikiemis / *Valnikiemiai. The first component is formed from the Polish personal name Wolnik (Rymut 1991: 174) > or Lithuanian Valnik- (: valnas ‘free, loose, unencumbered’ LEW II 1192).

4. Common noun + kiemas:

Groß Sȝirßkehmen (Amt Insterburg) 1642–1664 (Ostpr. Fol. 4610 92): *Širškiemis / *Širšk ie miai. From Lithuanian širšė ‘an insect of the family Vespidae; wasp; a person who is very irritable and becomes furious or enraged as soon as provoked’ (LKŽ XIV 906) + kiemas.

5. Cases that are not entirely clear:

Jelliczkehmen (Amt Insterburg) 1687 (Ostpr. Fol. 4627 11): *Jelickiemis / *Jelickiemiai or *Jelisk iemis / *Jelisk iemiai. The etymology of the first element of this place name could be twofold: from the Polish personal name Jalec 1383 (Rymut 1991: 136) or from the German personal name Jellies (: Vigelius) (Gottschald 1954: 610)³, although both interpretations require more thorough analysis.

Schulckemej (Amt Insterburg) 1642–1664 (Ostpr. Fol. 4610 13). If the letter combination sch represents š, the Lithuanian form could be *Šulk iemiai. Then

² Cf. the personal names Bernikas (: Polish Bernik: Bernard), Bėrnikis (LPŽ I 239).

³ Plg. taip pat Bach 1952: 168.

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The first element derives from the German personal name Schule (: Middle High German schulen “to watch secretly, lie in wait”) (Heintze 1933: 433) or from the Lithuanian personal name Šulys: šūlas “a post sunk into the ground, such as one for a threshing-barn door, a wooden well casing, a gate, or a bridge; a stave in the side of a wooden bucket or barrel” (LPŽ II 989)⁴. The letter combination sch may correspond to sk, in which case the Lithuanian equivalent would be *Skulkiemiai. The first element would then derive from the possible personal name *Skulis or *Skulys. According to W. Fenzlau, in some cases the letter combination sch may reflect ž (Fenzlau 1936: 87), in which case the Lithuanian form would be *Žulkiemiai. In this case, the first element should be derived from the Lithuanian personal name Žulys: žulys “stiff-tongued,” “žulūs ‘a stiff, uncouth person’” (LPŽ II 1348), or Žulkà, *Žulkys, Žulkus (with the suffix -k- from the root žul-) (LPŽ II 1348).

Compounds whose second element is -lauken can also be divided into several groups:

1. Lithuanian personal name + laukas:

Kiegstlauken (Amt Insterburg) 1642–1664 (Ostpr. Fol. 4610 143): *Kėkšt-laukis / *Kėkštlaukiai. From the personal names Kėkštas (LPŽ I 967), Kėksztas, Keksztatis (Kalwaitis 1910: 12). Cf. also Kiegskehmen oder Kägsten (Goldbeck II 69). However, the origin of the first element (from the personal name Kėkštas) requires further investigation, since, according to W. Fenzlau, Lithuanian ė and ie are rendered as e in German, e.g., Bittenen = Bitenai, Szardwethen = Žardviečiai (Fenzlau 1936: 37–40). O. Barkowski also points to a similar case: Pietzschlaucken gleich Petzlaucken 1584 (Barkowski 1928: 228).

Kirkutlauk (Amt Ragnit) 1549 (Ostpr. Fol. 9392 51), Kirkuttlaugk 1556 (Ostpr. Fol. 9396 41): *Kirkutlaukis. From the personal names Kirkūtis: kirkūtis “the first egg laid by a pullet” (LPŽ I 1000), Kirkutis (Kalwaitis 1910: 12).

Kugstlauken (Amt Insterburg) 1642–1664 (Ostpr. Fol. 4610 20): *Kukšt-laukis / *Kukštlaukiai. From the personal names Kukštà, Kùkštas, Kukštys: kukštà, kùkštas “tuft, clump; a thicket; the crown of a tree” (LPŽ I 1109). German-speaking Highlanders substitute [s] for Lithuanian [š] between two consonants, e.g., Birstonischken = Birštoniškiai, Bersteningen = Berštininkai (Fenzlau 1936: 83–88).

Padtlauken (Amt Insterburg) 1642–1664 (Ostpr. Fol. 4610 171): *Puodlau-kis / *Puodlaukiai. The first element derives from the personal names Púodas, Puodys: puodas “a metal vessel for cooking food; an earthenware vessel, pot” (LPŽ II 533–534). According to W. Fenzlau, Lithuanian [uo] is usually replaced by [o] in German (Fenzlau 1936: 40–46), e.g., Kooden = Lithuanian Kūodžiai (Fenzlau 1936: 40). Cf. also the place names Jodeglienen, Jodschen, Jodlaucken (Goldbeck II 76, 77). The vowel [a] most likely appears under the influence of Low German (Ziesemer 1924: 128).

Prußlaucken (Amt Insterburg) 1642–1664 (Ostpr. Fol. 4610 85): *Pruslaukis / *Pruslaukiai. A compound place name formed from the personal names Prūsas (LPŽ II 518), Prusaitis, Prusas

⁴ Cf. also the place names Schulkeim (Goldbeck I 170), Schulen, Schulkeim, Schulstein (Verzeichnis 1906: 247), Schulwiese (Verzeichnis 1939: 132).

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(Kalwaitis 1910: 15), Prussas, Prusseit, Pruszatis (Hoppe 1877: 411) + field. See also place names Prusigren, Prussellen, Prussen (Goldbeck II 126).

Rugelaucken (Amt Taplaucken) 1534 (Ostpr. Fol. 11181 9): *Rugialaukis / *Rugialaukiai. From the personal names Rugā, Rugis, Rugys (LPŽ II 633–634), Rugys (Kalwaitis 1910: 16), or from the Lithuanian common noun rugys ‘a cereal (usually winter rye) whose grain is milled into flour for bread’ (LKŽ XI 890).

Schuslaucken (Amt Labiau) 1591 (Ostpr. Fol. 5277 37), Schußlaucken 1615 (Ostpr. Fol. 5301 44): *Šiušlaukis / *Šiušlaukiai. From the personal names Šiuša, Šiušas, Šiušė, Šiušė, Šiušis, Šiušys, Šiušis: šiuša, šiuša ‘šiūšas’, šiūsas, šiūsas ‘a shiver, fear, horror’ (LPŽ II 943), Szusza (Kalwaitis 1910: 18).

2. German personal name + field:

Alt / Neu Baderlaucken (Amt Insterburg) 1642–1664 (Ostpr. Fol. 4610 127): *Baderlaukis / *Baderlaukiai. From the German personal name Bader (Heintze 1933: 126). Compare also the place name Badersleben in Saxony (Meyers 1935: 29).

Magerlaucken (Amt Taplaucken) 1534 (Ostpr. Fol. 11181 6): *Magerlaukis / *Magerlaukiai. From the German personal name Mager (Heintze 1933: 334). Compare also the place name Magerguth (Goldbeck I 108).

3. Common noun + field:

Biberlauck (Amt Ragnit) 1549 (Ostpr. Fol. 9392 5): *Bebralaukis / *Bebralaukiai. From the German common noun Biber (: Bieber ‘beaver’) + field; compare also the place names Bieberstein, Bieberswalde, Bieberthal (Verzeichnis 1906: 22).

Gerschlaugken (Amt Insterburg) 1642–1664 (Ostpr. Fol. 4610 124): *Geršlaukis / *Geršlaukiai. From the common noun géršė (: heron LEW I 148) + field.

4. Cases that are not entirely clear:

Woimelaucken (Amt Labiau) 1574 (Ostpr. Fol. 5267 26), Woimelaugen 1574 (Ostpr. Fol. 5267 51), Wojmlauchken 1615 (Ostpr. Fol. 5301 48), Woimlaucken 1626 (Ostpr. Fol. 5312 46). No convincing explanations for the origin of the first element of this place name could be found; perhaps it derives from the Lithuanian personal name *Vaimys.

The article presents and discusses 28 compound place names from sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Lithuania Minor. In 19 of them, both elements are of Lithuanian (Baltic) origin. The first element of 5 oikonyms is a German personal name or appellative, and that of 1 is a Polish personal name. The origin of three place names is not entirely clear.

Received 1999 05 03

LITERATURE AND SOURCES

Bach A. 1952: Deutsche Namenkunde 1(1), Heidelberg: Carl Winter, Universitätsverlag.

Bach A. 1974: Deutsche Namenkunde 3, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, Universitätsverlag.

Barkowski O. 1928/1930: The Settlement of the Main District of Insterburg 1525–1603, Königsberg: reprint, Hamburg 1993.

Fenzlau W. 1936: Die deutschen Formen der litauischen Orts- und Personennamen des Memelgebietes, Halle / Saale: Max Niemeyer Verlag.

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Förstemann E. 1900: Altdeutsches Namenbuch. Personennamen, Bonn: Hanstein, Nachdruck 1966.

Gerullis G. 1922: Die altpreußischen Ortsnamen, Berlin und Leipzig: Vereinigung wissenschaftlicher Verleger, Walter de Gruyter u. Co.

Goldbeck J. F. I – Complete Topography of the Kingdom of Prussia. Part One, which contains the Topography of East=Prussia, Complete Topography of the East=Prussian Chamber=Department, Königsberg and Leipzig.

Goldbeck J. F. II – Complete Topography of the Kingdom of Prussia, Complete Topography of the Lithuanian Chamber=Department, Königsberg and Leipzig.

Gottschald M. 1954: Deutsche Namenkunde, Berlin: Verlag Walter de Gruyter u. Co.

Heintze – Cascorbi 1933: Die deutschen Familiennamen, Halle / Saale, Berlin.

Hoppe F. 1877: Ortsnamen der Provinz Preussen. – Altpreussische Monatsschrift 14, Königsberg i. P.

Kalwaitis W. 1910: Lietuwiszkų wardų klėtele su 15000 wardų, Tilžėje: Spausdinta Otto v. Mauderodės.

LAŽ: Directory of the Administrative-Territorial Division of the Lithuanian SSR 2, Vilnius: Mintis.

LEW – Fraenkel E. Lithuanian Etymological Dictionary 1, Heidelberg–Göttingen: Carl Winter, Universitätsverlag, 1962; 2, Heidelberg–Göttingen: Carl Winter, Universitätsverlag, 1965.

LKŽ – Dictionary of the Lithuanian Language 5, Vilnius: State Publishing House for Political and Scientific Literature, 1959; 7, Vilnius: Mintis, 1966; 11, Vilnius: Mokslas, 1978; 14, Vilnius: Mokslas, 1986.

LPŽ – Dictionary of Lithuanian Surnames 1, Vilnius: Mokslas, 1985; 2, Vilnius: Mokslas, 1989.

LVKŽ – Lietuvių vardų kilmės žodynas, Vilnius: Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidykla, 1994.

Meyers 1935: Ortsund Verkehrslexikon des Deutschen Reiches, Leipzig.

Natau O. 1937: Mundart und Siedelung im nordöstlichen Ostpreussen, Königsberg und Berlin: Ost – Europa Verlag.

Ostpr. Fol. – East Prussian folios, Secret State Archives of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, Berlin (the document number and page are given in parentheses).

Pėteraitis V. 1997: Mažosios Lietuvos ir Tvankstos vietovardžiai, Vilnius: Mažosios Lietuvos fondas, Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos institutas.

Rymut K. 1991: Nazwiska polaków, Wrocław–Warszawa–Kraków: Zakład Narodowy im. Os- solińskich – Wydawnictwo.

Trautmann R. 1925: Die altpreußischen Personennamen, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck u. Ruprecht.

Verzeichnis 1906: Verzeichnis sämtlicher Ortschaften in der Provinz Ostpreussen, Berlin.

Verzeichnis 1939: Neues Ortsnamenverzeichnis von Ostpreussen mit den alten und neuen Ortsnamen, Königsberg.

Ziesemer W. 1924: Die ostpreussischen Mundarten, Breslau: Ferdinand Hirt.

ABBREVIATIONS

avd. – personal name

hebr. – Hebrew

liet. – Lithuanian

lenk. – Polish

vok. – German

w. – place name

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ON THE COMPOUND PLACE NAMES OF LITHUANIA MINOR WITH -KEHMEN / -KEIMEN AND -LAUKEN

Summary

The article examines structurally and etymologically compound place names containing -kehmen / -keimen (Lith. kiēmas “homestead,” kàimas “village”) and -lauken (Lith. laũkas “field”). The material used was gathered from the East Prussian folios in the Secret State Archives “Prussian Cultural Heritage” in Berlin. The place names mentioned are not found in any gazetteer of East Prussian localities. This unique material can provide much information about the Lithuanians, their language, their life at the time, and their relations with other peoples.

The article presents 28 compound place names from Lithuania Minor dating from the 16th–17th centuries. In 19 cases, both components of the compound are of Lithuanian (or at least Baltic) origin. The first component of 5 place names is a German personal name or common noun, and in one case a Polish personal name. In 3 cases, it was not possible to determine the origin conclusively.

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