LIETUVIŲ KALBOTYROS KLAUSIMAI, XXXIV (1994) LIETUVIŲ KALBOS TARMĖS IR JŲ TYRINĖJIMAI

Vitalija MACIEJAUSKIENĖ

ANTANAS SALYS’S “CALENDAR NAMES”

A. Salys’s works on anthroponymy are usually mentioned or cited on various occasions: when discussing the formation of Lithuanian surnames (articles: “On Our First Names and Surnames,” “Our Surnames,” “Nickname,” “Byname,” “Patronymics”¹), or when considering the currently relevant problem of changing Lithuanian surnames (“Lithuanianizing” them) (articles: “The Problem of Surnames,” “Awaiting the Surnames Act,” “The Surnames Act in the Seimas,” and the list “Surnames of the Vilnius Region”). A. Salys also wrote extensively about Christian first names, their place in the Lithuanian name repertoire, their arrival in the Lithuanian language, the development of their adaptation there, and so on (articles: “Baptismal Names,” “Jadvyga,” “Jokimas,” “Jokūbas,” “Juozapas,” “Jurgis,” “Justas and Justinas,” “Kazimieras,” “Klemensas,” “Kristijonas,” “Ona (Anna),” “Simonas (Simon),” “Urbonas,” and many others). It is impossible to become acquainted with old two-stem Lithuanian names without this linguist either (articles: “On Our First Names and Surnames,” “Jogaila,” “Mažvydas,” “Mindaugas,” and the study “Our Lithuanian Names”). The latter discusses the oldest Lithuanian (and Prussian) names—the old two-stem personal names and their short forms. This is done by presenting all the known stems of these names, for which, as A. Salys says, “etymologies are also briefly noted.”

But this is not the place to discuss the works by A. Salys on personal names just mentioned. The aim is only to draw attention to a practical problem related to the use of first names.

This is made possible by the list of names “Calendar Names”², compiled by the renowned linguist. It includes many Christian and national names, that is, names of Lithuanian (Baltic) origin. The former were selected by the priest Stasys Yla, and the latter by Antanas Salys (who also reviewed and corrected the forms and spelling of many Christian names and their short forms). All the names—both Christian and national—are assigned to specific days of the year.

Only the national (that is, Baltic-origin) names from this list, which Antanas Salys recommended for use, will be discussed here.

In the aforementioned study “Our Lithuanian Names,” A. Salys states: “... we have no reason to lament a shortage of national names. We have more of them than other

¹ These articles, like the others that will be mentioned here, were published in: Salys A. Raštai. Vol. 2: Proper Names. Rome, 1983.

² Ibid. P. 285–304.

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of the nation. It is only necessary to bring them to public attention, to make them more widely known³. This is done in part in “Calendar Names,” which presents 726 national names⁴.

Among them are many old two-stem personal names, e.g.: Dárgulė (Dargùlė)⁵, Daũgilė (Daugìlė), Daũmantė, Eĩrėmė, Eĩvilė (Eivìlė), Geñdrvilė (Gendvìlė), Gìlvilė (Gilvìlė), Mìngintė, Mìntautė, Mìnvyde, Skìrmantė, Rìmantė, Taũtmilė (Tautmìlė), Vỹdmantė, Viltáutė (women’s names) and Algìmantas, Aũrimas, Dárydas, Daũgvydas, Daũmantas, Eĩmantas, Eĩtautas, Jógingtas, Mìnvy das, Nórvydas, Rìmtautas, Rìmvydas, Taũtgirdas, Taũtminas, Viltáutas, Virgaudas, Vísvaldas, Žỹgintas (men’s names). Some shortened forms derived from them (or formed from them) can function independently, e.g.: Algė, Gìnta, Gýtė, Mañtė, Norà, Taũtė, Váida, Výta and Džiùgas, Gėdas, Gìntas, Gìrdas, Rìmas, Taũtas, Valdas, Výtas.

In addition, quite a number of new, so-called artificial, names are presented, e.g.: Bangà, Gabìja, Guóda, Jūra, Rýtė, Rùsnė, Vakárė, Vasárė and Ąžuolas, Dóbilas, Ker̃nius, Pùtinas, Taũras, Vasãris.

A. Salys says of the latter in the same study: “Although we can draw handfuls of the loveliest names from the old Lithuanian and Prussian name stock, there will always be someone who has not found one to suit them and has not fashioned a new, pleasing name of their own. Such name creation is inevitable and not to be condemned” (p. 269).

Such “creation” of names is still practiced today. It is one way of enriching the Lithuanian name stock. It is often resorted to when choosing a name for a newborn, a future citizen. Various requirements may be set for a name. Consequently, there can be no doubt that the results of creating new names may vary greatly.

When a completely new name is not being created, one is sought in various sources. One such source may be the carefully prepared “Dictionary of the Origins of Lithuanian Names” by K. Kuzavinis and B. Savukynas (V., 1987). Or another collection of recommended names (obviously compiled by specialists).

But names may also be collected from obscure sources by random individuals who are not specialists. One example is the list of Lithuanian names “Choose a Name,” printed in “A Thousand Tips” (V., 1990), a book compiled by V. Mikalauskas. Comparing its names with those in the “Dictionary of the Origins of Lithuanian Names” revealed that about 30% of the names should not be recommended for use. These are about 220 girls’ names and 185 boys’ names. Printed in a popular book, they became known to a very large number of people interested in names.

Most of the names recommended for use in old calendars of various kinds, published several decades ago, would probably not fit very well into today’s name stock either.

And how should the national names proposed by A. Salys in “Calendar Names” be assessed today? To find this out, all 726 were compared with the above-mentioned “Dictionary of the Origins of Lithuanian Names.” 475 names (i.e., 65%) are among those proposed by the authors for use toda-

Ibid. P.286.

They were counted and compared with K. Kuzavinis and B. Savukynas’s “Dictionary of the Origins of Lithuanian Names” (V., 1987) by Dalia Smatavičiūtė, an assistant in the Department of Names at the Institute of the Lithuanian Language.

The names are marked for stress according to the “Dictionary of the Origins of Lithuanian Names”.

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to use national names. These are the old two-stem names, their shortened forms, and new, artificial names. Quite a few of them were already mentioned at the beginning of the article.

251 names (about 35% of all the national names included in the list) are not found in the “Dictionary of the Origins of Lithuanian Names.” Here are some of them: Ardauga, Danmilė, Germandė, Jaunega, Miklausa, Nautilė, Nirvindna, Nomega, Poviltė, Ragailė, Raudvilė, Tvirgilė, Vartvilė (women’s names) and Aušautas, Daukūnas, Draumantas, Gaudžadas, Kindiras, Lengaila, Lygandas, Perbandas, Rambaudas, Romantas, Tolvardas, Vindvinas, Vingautas, Vintilas, Žyvibutas, Žugaila (men’s names). As can be seen, these are most often compound names with two stems. They are frequently authentic stems of old two-stem Baltic personal names attested in historical sources, for example: ar-, but-, daug-, gail-, gil-, mil-, min(t)-, vil(t)-, and so on. The formation of some such names is unclear. They may be regarded as derivatives formed with one suffix or another, or as compound names. Consequently, it is difficult to say anything precise about the origins of many of them.

Some names are short, just two syllables long. They could be shortened forms of the compound or other names mentioned above, or simply independently coined (created) names. Here is a small selection: Alka, Arga, Ata, Beda, Binga, Darba, Diva, Dringa, Gasta, Gata, Gendė, Gida, Ghuoda, Kaita, Kantra, Kina, Linksma, Lita, Mara, Mata, Mila, Naudė, Nauna, Nausa, Nauta, Ninda, Rimta, Sana, Skuda, Suda, Taga, Tanga, Tena, Tyla, Vaira, Vandra, Vanga, Žada and other similar women’s names, and Alsus, Aslus, Gilas, Skaldas, Slantas, Žyvas and other men’s names. Interestingly, these are mostly women’s names. Perhaps this was an attempt to fill a gap in the Lithuanian name stock created by the scarcity of old, authentic women’s names.

Some names could be regarded as derivatives formed with various suffixes. These are Audrilė, Augina, Dirvona, Gelida, Giedrunė, Gilanda, Girenė, Juraitė, Lazduona, Narūna, Nautinga, Raimota, Saugutė, Vėjūna, Vorilė as well as Dainotas, Darsūnas, Komotas, Ligeikis, Lizdeika, Svilkenis, Vaidulis, Vaitenis, Vinotas and other similar names. Here, too, women’s names are more common.

As already mentioned, these and other similar names are not included in the “Dictionary of the Origins of Lithuanian Names.” Its authors had undoubtedly familiarized themselves with the national names presented in A. Salys’s “Calendar Names” and apparently deliberately excluded some from the list of Lithuanian names recommended for use today. The reason is probably very simple: practical recommendations inevitably change with time. They are revised and sometimes even rejected altogether.

This should be borne in mind when assessing A. Salys’s unquestionable contributions to Lithuanian anthroponymy.

“CALENDAR NAMES” BY ANTANAS SALYS

Summary

In A. Salys’s “Calendar Names,” many national first names (about 726) are listed. These include old two-stem personal names and their shortened forms, as well as many new names of Lithuanian origin.

Some of these first names (35%) are probably no longer in use today. Practical recommendations are revised or changed over time. This should be kept in mind when assessing national first names in “Calendar Names.”

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