LIETUVIŲ KALBOS SPECIALIOJI LEKSIKA

LIETUVIŲ KALBOTYROS KLAUSIMAI, XXII (1983)

Reviews, critiques

LIETUVIŠKA AUDINIŲ PRAGMONIMIKA

1. Introductory remarks

1.1. A pragmonym is a word of Greek origin (pragma “thing, commodity,” onoma “name”), meaning a proper name of a commodity. Some linguists classify pragmonymics as a branch of onomastics¹, but in fact the place of this type of word in the lexical system of language is quite problematic.

Pragmonyms were already used in ancient Rome, Spain, and Egypt. It is believed that one of the earliest forms of pragmonyms was the anthroponym—the name of the craftsman. Manufacturers marked the goods they made (weapons, musical instruments, vessels, etc.) with their own names, engraving or stamping the mark on them, and so on. Such marks were used as late as the 17th century. Over time, however, as trade developed, the volume of goods production increased and their assortment diversified. A craftsman’s name was no longer sufficient for pragmonymics. As a result, the names of famous people, mythological beings, and literary heroes, as well as place names, began to be used. Later, common nouns were also adopted. Names of precious stones, astronomical and meteorological phenomena, animals, and so forth became proper names of goods².

In our age of rapid economic development, alongside the many new goods there also emerges a wealth of proper names given to them. Nowadays, it would be impossible to manage using only terms naming generic concepts (e.g., bicycle, camera, television, etc.), or only specific product names (e.g., women’s bicycle, color television, etc.), since numerous varieties are produced within each product type. Thus, a pragmonym now functions as a kind of supplement to a product’s specific name. It is hardly surprising that proper names of goods number in the millions worldwide. There are far more of them than words in any language. According to current rules and standards, goods in the same group cannot be given identical or similar pragmonyms.

1.2. Proper names primarily perform a designative function, whereas pragmonyms must first and foremost perform an attractive (appealing, attention-catching) and an aesthetic function. Therefore, an important requirement is that a word used as a pragmonym should evoke an association with the product and be directly or indirectly connected with its purpose, properties, or appearance—in short, should express its essence. Proper names of goods should have clear, unambiguous meanings, be easy to remember and pronounce, and be as short as possible. Of course,

¹ Комолова З. П. Семантическая мотивированность прагмонимов. – Проблемы семантики. – М.: Наука, 1974, с. 333; Москович В. А. Товарные знаки. – В кн.: Ономастика. М., 1969, с. 251.

² Москович В. А. Товарные знаки. – Указ. соч., с. 252; Цепелевецкий А. М. Нужная книга. – Вопросы изобретательства, 1967, № 5, с. 54–55.

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Words with a negative emotional connotation do not become pragmonyms³. It is thought that abbreviated pragmonyms should not be created, as they are difficult to remember, inconvenient to pronounce, and so on⁴.

When creating pragmonyms, the problem of their motivation is relevant. The Soviet linguist Z. Komolova, who studied pragmonyms in various languages, established that there are proper product names created on the basis of the same factors of semantic motivation. In the author’s view, this makes it possible to speak of universals in pragmonymy. Examples of such universals are given: 1) the size of the product, e.g., the motor scooter “Malys”; 2) a material that is one of the product’s components, e.g., the sweets “Likernaja”; 3) a person or thing for whom or which the product is intended, e.g., the portable gas stove “Turist”; 4) the quality of the product, e.g., “Lutčy” — a metal-cleaning product; 5) the product’s function: “Miechočistka” — a product for cleaning colored artificial fur; 6) the place where the product is made, e.g., the refrigerator “Penza”; 7) the factory that produces the product, e.g., the tractor “Kirovec”; 8) an object from the same “group” as the “bearer” of the pragmonym, e.g., the radiola “Simfonija,” “Gama”; 9) a person, work, event, hero, geographical feature, and so on, commemorated by the product, such as the sweets “Spartak” and the watch “Antarktida”⁵. Of course, given the abundance and variety of goods, it can be said that this list of universals is not exhaustive. The author probably did not aim to make it so. She merely wished to demonstrate some general models of the semantic motivation of pragmonyms.

The aim of this article is to examine the pragmonymy of one product group—Lithuanian fabrics from the period 1950–1979⁶. (Before 1950, only a few fabrics with proper names were produced. These were the woollen dress fabric “Liuks” and the drap “Baltika.”) Particular attention is given to the analysis of the semantic word groups that serve as sources for fabric pragmonyms, while also addressing whether these sources are suitable for fabric pragmonymy. The article shows changes in the number of proper fabric names, discusses the factors motivating them, and offers recommendations for creating fabric pragmonyms⁸.

2. Overview of Lithuanian fabric pragmonymy

2.1. According to data from retail price lists for fabrics, state standards, technical specifications, and technical descriptions, 789 fabrics were called pragmonyms in the republic in 1950–1979: 411 woollen, 358 silk, 11 linen, and 9 cotton.

³ Москович В. А. Указ. соч., с. 253.

⁴ Савин-Лазарева Э. С. Вопросы выбора товарных знаков. — Вопросы изобретательства, 1967, № 6, с. 50.

⁵ Комолова З. П. Указ. соч., с. 337–338.

⁶ The examples are taken from fabric sample albums of the Ministry of Light Industry of the Lithuanian SSR, the register of technical descriptions of the Ministry of Light Industry of the Lithuanian SSR (1973–1979), the register of technical specifications of the Ministry of Light Industry of the Lithuanian SSR (1966–1979), and various fabric price lists from 1950–1979.

8. 1019

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At first, pragmonyms were used to designate wool fabrics. In addition to the previously mentioned “Liuks” and “Baltika,” in 1955 the wool suiting fabric “Drobė,” the coat fabric “Vasara” (Drobė factory), and the drap “Spalis” (Liteksas factory) began to be produced. Proper names for silk fabrics appeared a little later. In 1957, “Kauno audiniai” produced the following silk fabrics: “Berželis,” “Genys,” “Gintaras,” “Kregždutė,” “Neris,” “Pavasaris,” and “Snaigė.” In 1959, several pragmonyms for linen fabrics appeared, such as the dress fabric “Banga” and the materials for children’s clothing “Palanga” and “Vasara.” Meanwhile, the first pragmonym for a cotton fabric was used only in 1966. At that time, the Audėjas factory began producing the tapestry “Lietuva.” Changes in the number of proper names for fabrics produced in the Lithuanian SSR during the last three decades (1950–1979) are shown in Table 1. The number of fabric pragmonyms increased considerably as early as 1960. They were used most often for silk and wool fabrics, since these were produced in much greater variety and quantity than linen and cotton fabrics.

2.2. As regards the motivation of Lithuanian fabric pragmonyms, it should be noted that most of these proper names are, as it were, commemorative; that is, they draw on the names of natural phenomena, place names, plants, animals, products, equipment, and other things, and also reflect concepts related to people’s spiritual activity and creativity. Some fabric pragmonyms are motivated in other ways, for example by product quality (the fabric “Liuks,” and “Kristalas” and “Perlas”—shiny fabrics); the nature of the product (the fabrics “Krepas,” “Bajus”); the product’s purpose (the sail fabric “Jachta”); or the factory that produces the item (the fabrics “Drobė,” “Lima,” “Liteksas”).

The motivation of pragmonyms is closely related to their sources. What semantic groups of words are used to form Lithuanian fabric names? These include names of natural phenomena, place names, names of plants, animals, products and equipment, company names, personal names, and concepts related to people’s spiritual activity and creativity (see Table 2). Tables 3 and 4 present an even more detailed semantic classification of the sources of silk and wool fabric pragmonyms.

Well-chosen proper names for fabrics play a positive role in shaping the range of fabrics, provide consumers with information about the product, and, as it were, advertise it.

2.2.1. Names of natural phenomena are most characteristic of silk fabrics (65 silk-fabric pragmonyms out of 108 pragmonyms from this source). They constitute about one-fifth of the proper names of these fabrics. These include names of various natural materials (e.g., “Gintaras,” “Perlas,” “Rubinas,” “Žėrutis”), celestial bodies (e.g., “Marsas,” “Satelė”), seasons (e.g., “Pavasaris,” “Vasara”), times of day (e.g., “Diena,” “Rytas,” “Vakaras”), and various other names, such as “Aidas,” “Giedra,” “Rasa,” “Verpetas,” “Žara,” and the like. These pragmonyms designate a considerable portion of “Kauno audiniai” products. Some are associated with the fabric’s purpose, for example, the evening fabric “Vakaras,” or with its appearance, for example, “Perlas” and “Kristalas.” Most are simply intended to evoke natural phenomena.

2.2.2. Natural phenomena are reflected somewhat less prominently in wool-fabric pragmonyms (36 wool-fabric pragmonyms out of 108 pragmonyms from this source). They make up only about one-tenth of all proper names for wool fabrics. For example,

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wool dress fabrics “Banga,” “Pavasaris,” “Saulė”, suiting fabrics “Aidas,” “Gintaras,” “Rūkas”, coat fabrics “Migla,” “Pūga,” “Snaigė,” “Sniegutis,” “Vaivorykštė,” “Žaibas,” “Žvaigždutė”, draps “Šerkšnas”, and so on.

In general, the naming of wool fabrics after natural phenomena cannot be criticized. However, it is not commendable that the same groups of natural phenomena, or even the very same names, are used for these fabrics (especially suiting and coat fabrics) as for silk fabrics, for example: “Aidas,” “Giedra,” “Gintaras,” “Migla,” “Pūga,” “Puta,” “Rytas,” “Vaivorykštė,” “Vasaras”, and so on. After all, wool fabrics are thicker and coarser, so their pragmonyms should evoke somewhat different images.

2.2.3. Place names are most often used to form proper names for wool fabrics (137 wool-fabric pragmonyms out of 190 pragmonyms from this source, and one-third of all wool-fabric pragmonyms). These include names of ethnographic regions, settlements, seas, lakes, rivers, hillforts, and so forth. Place names are chosen most frequently for coat fabrics, for example: “Akmenė,” “Dainava,” “Dangė,” “Dubysa,” “Gondinga,” “Juodkrantė,” “Puožas,” “Sartai,” “Žeimena”, and for draps, such as: “Ančia,” “Dūkštas,” “Kaunas,” “Kauno marios,” “Neris,” “Nevėžis,” “Palanga,” “Rambynas,” “Šatrija”, and the like. Only 20 wool suiting fabrics are named with these pragmonyms, for example: “Akmena,” “Kražiai,” “Merkys,” “Nida,” “Naglis,” “Nosą,” “Pandėlys,” “Turmantas,” “Venta”, and so on, while there are only a few wool dress fabrics—“Dainava,” “Neringa”, and so on.

The use of place names to create proper names for wool fabrics should be endorsed. This is a large lexical group, containing many different names suitable for pragmonymy.

2.2.4. Place names designate only about one-seventh of all silk fabrics (48 pragmonyms out of 190 proper names from this source), for example: “Baltija,” “Dainava,” “Dubysa,” “Naglis,” “Nevą,” “Nevėžis,” “Praha,” “Tokijo,” “Vilnius,” “Žalgiris”, and so on. The names of settlements and rivers are most often used for this purpose.

2.2.5. About one-fifth of proper names for wool fabrics are plant names (81 pragmonyms out of 150 pragmonyms from this source). These are mostly names of flowers (e.g., “Aguona,” “Jurginas,” “Raganė,” “Tulpė”), trees and shrubs (e.g., “Akacija,” “Ąžuolas,” “Ąžuoliukas,” “Eglė,” “Eglutė,” “Liepa,” “Putinas,” “Skroblas,” “Uosis”), fruits and berries (e.g., “Avietė,” “Svarainis,” “Riešutas”), and plant parts (e.g., “Lapas,” “Žiedelis”). Plant names are especially often used to form pragmonyms for wool dress and wool suiting fabrics.

2.2.6. Quite a few silk fabrics are described by plant names (66 silk-fabric pragmonyms out of 150 words serving as a source for these proper names), for example: “Aguona,” “Astra,” “Jurginas,” “Kamelija,” “Kaštanas,” “Lazdynas,” “Palmė,” “Riešutas,” “Uoga,” “Žilvitis”, and so on. The names of flowers and trees each account for about one-third of proper names for silk fabrics. However, more words denoting flowers could be used, especially for naming silk fabrics. After all, flowers can describe the texture, softness, and playfulness of the colors of silk fabrics better than trees can.

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2.2.7. In the fabric industry, we also find nouns denoting animals among the names of silk and wool fabrics. They name 49 silk fabrics and 45 wool fabrics. The most widespread are nouns denoting birds and livestock or wild animals, for example, silk fabrics “Aras,” “Dobilis,” “Garnys,” “Genys,” “Geniukas,” “Pingvinas,” and “Povas,” as well as “Avinėlis,” “Briedis,” “Zuikis,” and the like. Wool fabrics include “Garnys,” “Genys,” “Kielė,” “Pelėda,” “Pingvinas,” “Briedis,” “Stumbras,” “Šernas,” and others.

As for silk fabrics, it should be noted that nouns denoting livestock and wild animals are particularly characteristic of imitation furs, for example, “Avinėlis,” “Katinėlis,” “Leopardas,” “Mopsas,” “Pudelis,” “Ūdra,” and others. These are successful fabric names that aptly reflect the appearance of imitation fur.

2.2.8. Names of products and devices are used chiefly to describe silk fabrics (30 out of the 50 proper names for silk fabrics in this source’s fabric-name corpus), for example, “Arfa,” “Fleita,” “Jachta,” “Kanklės,” “Karuselė,” “Palydovas,” “Raketa,” “Skudutis,” and others. Some of these names (e.g., the sail fabric “Jachta”) indicate the fabric’s intended use, while others (e.g., musical instruments “Kanklės” and “Skudutis”) aptly describe its appearance, softness, and lightness.

2.2.9. A few fabrics are named after companies, for example, wool fabrics “Drobė,” “Lima,” and “Liteksas.” A silk fabric was given the abbreviated name “Ziko” (Zibertas Silk Mill). Abbreviated fabric names should be discouraged simply because they are often understood only by the manufacturers themselves.

2.2.10. About a fifth of wool fabrics and the same proportion of silk fabrics have fabric names that are, in one way or another, names for people. These include names of literary characters (e.g., “Buratinas,” “Coliukė,” “Pelenė”), mythological beings (e.g., “Aitvaras,” “Laumė”), inhabitants of Lithuania’s ethnographic regions or towns (e.g., “Dzūkė,” “Kaunietė,” “Žemaitis”), groups of people and professions (e.g., “Medžiotojas,” “Moksleivė,” “Pionierius,” “Žvejys”), stages of life (e.g., “Jaunystė,” “Mažylė”), kinship relations (e.g., “Sesutė,” “Uošvė”), and so on. Common personal names are particularly popular. They are most often used for silk dress fabrics, for example, “Asta,” “Gintė,” “Gražina,” “Milda,” “Ona,” “Silva,” “Stasė,” “Vida,” and “Jūratė,” as well as for wool dress fabrics such as “Asta,” “Elvyra,” “Judris,” “Jūratė,” “Lina,” “Milda,” “Nijolė,” and others. Historical figures’ names are quite popular for drapery fabrics, for example, “Mantas,” “Margiris,” “Mindaugas,” “Vytenis,” “Žygimantas,” and others.

The share of drapery-fabric names consisting of historical figures’ names could be regarded as commemorative. They evoke a sense of grandeur and solemnity, which goes well with the thickness and weight of these materials. However, in future, personal names should not be used too frequently when creating proper names for fabrics.

2.2.11. Some fabrics’ proper names are concepts relating to human intellectual activity and creativity. These include literary forms or genres (e.g., “Baladė,” “Pasaka,” “Sakmė”), artistic concepts (e.g., “Etiudas”), names of dances (e.g., “Kepurinė,” “Rumbo,” “Suktinis,” “Tango”), sports (e.g., “Sambo,” “Šachmatai”), and fashion trends (e.g., “Midi”). Particularly prominent in this group are concepts relating to human relationships (e.g., “Draugystė,” “Talka”) and human ideals (e.g., “Laisvė,” “Pažanga,” “Taika”).

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concepts and people’s spiritual states (e.g., “Laimė,” “Ramybė,” “Romantika,” “Svajonė,” “Viltis”). Silk fabrics are named after concepts relating to human intellectual activity or creativity more than any other group (41 of the 53 fabric names in this source). Well-chosen names from this group lend fabrics a fitting significance.

2.2.12. There are few proper names for linen and cotton fabrics (11 fabric names for linen, 9 for cotton). The names of linen fabrics are words denoting natural phenomena (e.g., “Aušra,” “Banga,” “Pavasaris,” “Vaivorykštė,” “Vasara”), place names (e.g., “Minija-4,” “Palanga,” “Širvėna”), and plant names (e.g., “Aguona,” “Liepa,” “Rūta”).

Three cotton-fabric names are names for people (“Džūkė,” “Elzė,” “Sūduvietė”); a few others coincide with names of natural phenomena (e.g., “Rytas,” “Ruduo”) and place names (e.g., “Lietuva,” “Neris”), while one is a company name (“Audėjas”).

2.3. A survey of Lithuanian fabric-name usage reveals a partial specialization of proper names according to fabric groups and, at the same time, mills. Such specialization should be regarded as positive. It emerged when individual mills began naming their products with fabric names drawn from one or several semantic groups. For example, the “Laisvės” mill names its wool coat and suiting fabrics chiefly after lakes, for example, “Gelvis,” “Gilutis,” “Narutis,” “Nosas,” “Puožas,” “Senkutis,” “Šlavantas,” “Vėlys,” “Žaltytis,” “Žuvintas,” and others. The “Nemuno” mill’s wool coat and suiting fabrics most often bear settlement names, such as “Kelmė,” “Kražiai,” “Lieplaukė,” “Pandėlys,” “Telšiai,” and “Utena.” However, these mills could specialize proper fabric names even further, that is, according to the fabric’s intended use. For example, if settlement names were reserved for the “Nemuno” mill’s coat fabrics and lake names for “Laisvės” coat fabrics, new groups of fabric names should be sought for the suiting materials made by these mills. Drapery fabrics are produced mainly by “Liteksas.” These are thick, heavy fabrics, so commemorative names with a suggestion of solemnity have been chosen for them, for example, names of cities (“Kaunas,” “Vilnius”), historic and notable places (“Pilėnai,” “Stelmužė”), natural monuments (“Puntukas”), rivers (“Neris,” “Nevėžis”), hills (“Rambynas,” “Šatrija”), and historical figures (“Mindaugas,” “Vytenis,” “Žygimantas”). These fabric names seem successful, but it is worth considering whether the number of semantic groups from which drapery-fabric names are drawn should be reduced.

2.3.1. The “Drobės” association produces the largest share of wool suiting fabrics. These fabrics are most often named with nouns denoting trees (e.g., “Ąžuolas,” “Beržas,” “Gluosnis,” “Kaštanas,” “Klevas,” “Putinas”) and birds (e.g., “Apuokas,” “Garnys,” “Gužutis,” “Kėkštas,” “Kikilis,” “Kurtinys,” “Laukys,” “Žvirblis”). These fabric names are quite apt: the pattern of a wool suiting fabric can partly imitate the bark and cross-section of a tree, as well as a bird’s feathers. However, bird names should not be used for the wool dress fabrics produced by “Drobės,” for example, “Gervė,” “Kielė,” “Volungė,” and others.

2.3.2. The range of wool dress fabrics is narrower than that of silk dress fabrics. They are mostly produced in solid colors. Most of them have fabric names created from plant

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Industrial fabrics manufactured in the Lithuanian SSR Period Woolen number% Silk number% 1950–1959 56 13.63 20 ¹5.59 1960–1969 209 50.85 134 37.43 1970–1979 146 35.52 204 56.98 Total 411 100.00 358 100.00

Manufactured in the Lithuanian SSR, 1950–1979 Group Woolen number% Silk number% Natural phenomena 36 8.76 65 18.16 Place names 137 33.33 48 13.41 Plant names 81 19.71 66 18.43 Animal names 46 11.19 49 13.69 Names of products and equipment 20 4.87 30 8.38 Company names 4 0.97 1 0.28 Personal names 76 18.49 58 16.20 Concepts relating to human spiritual activity and creativity 11 2.68 41 11.45 Total 411 100.00 358 100.00

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Table 1

change in number, 1950–1979

Linen

Cotton

Total

number

%

number

%

number

%

3

27,27

—

—

79

10,01

8

72,73

1

11,11

352

44,61

—

—

8

88,89

358

45,38

11

100,00

9

100,00

789

100,00

Table 2

Industrial fabrics by source of origin

Cotton

Linear

Total

number

%

number

%

number

%

2

22,22

5

45,46

108

13,69

2

22,22

3

27,27

190

24,08

—

—

3

27,27

150

190,1

—

—

—

—

95

12,04

—

—

—

—

50

6,34

1

11,11

—

—

6

0,76

3

33,34

—

—

137

17,36

1

11,11

—

—

53

6,72

9

100,00

11

100,00

789

100,00

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on the basis of plant names, e.g.: „Aguona“, „Alyva“, „Flioksas“, „Lubinas“, „Petunija“, „Pipiras“. In future, it would also be appropriate to call these fabrics by the names of single-colored flowers, fruits, and berries. Silk fabrics have more pronounced patterns and are usually multicolored. Names of variegated flowers, words denoting natural phenomena, or concepts of human intellectual creativity are suitable for them. Perhaps silk fabrics should not be named after places or trees, and especially not after people.

2.3.3. Some good pragmonyms for children’s fabrics. Proper fabric names denoting literary heroes are particularly apt, e.g.: „Coliukė“, „Nežiniukas“, „Spragtukas“, as are diminutive nouns such as: „Drugelis“, „Kanarėlė“, „Karosiukas“, „Putinėlis“, „Žiedelis“, and so on.

2.4. In future improvements to the system of fabric pragmonyms, it would be useful to select one or several predominant semantic groups of proper fabric names for each of the separate fabric groups produced by each factory, according to their intended use.

As the range of fabrics changes, it is difficult to ensure that proper fabric names remain in use for a long time—several decades—as, for example, „Baltika“, „Lilūks“. Nevertheless, greater stability in fabric pragmonyms would be a positive thing. Manufacturers should consider how to resolve this issue. It is hardly advisable to give a fabric a new proper name merely because the material’s structure has changed slightly. In such cases, we could use series of pragmonyms indicating the year of production or the fabric’s serial number. A few similar attempts have been made. For example, „Drobė“ produced the fabric „Krepas-65“, „Liteksas“ produced „Neringa-2“ and „Stumbras-2“, and „Laisvė“ produced „Tauras-2“, among others.

A considerable drawback of Lithuanian fabric pragmonyms is that the same word is often used to name several different products. According to the article’s author, there are as many as 123 such names. The pragmonyms of wool and silk fabrics most often coincide, e.g.: wool coating fabric and silk dress fabric „Akacija“ (1970), wool coating fabric and silk dress fabric „Asta“ (1974), wool coating fabric „Šilas“ (1976) and silk dress fabric „Šilas“ (1976). The same name („Neris“) is used for a silk fabric (1957–1979) and a wool tapestry (1970). Several proper names for wool and linen fabrics also coincide, e.g.: wool dress fabric „Aušra“ (1965) and linen curtain fabric „Aušra“ (1966), wool drap „Palanga“ (1957) and linen fabric for children’s clothing „Palanga“ (1959). Twenty-nine of the 123 fabric pragmonyms recur as many as three times, e.g.: „Rytas“ denotes wool suiting fabric (1965), silk dress fabric (1967, 1979), and cotton dress fabric (1979); „Vaivorykštė“ denotes wool coating fabric (1965), silk dress fabric (1968), and linen dress fabric (1969).

Such recurring pragmonyms provide buyers with little information about the fabric group, its intended use, or its manufacturer. Therefore, greater ingenuity should be applied when creating proper fabric names.

Creators of Lithuanian fabric pragmonyms sometimes use incorrect, nonstandard forms of conditional names, e.g.: „Astra“ (= „Astras“), „Dangė“ (= „Danė“), „Gondinga“ (= „Gandinga“), „Kadugys“ (= „Kadagys“), „Kaštanas“

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Table 3

Trade names of silk fabrics (1950—1979) by source of origin

Group, subgroup

Number

%

I. Natural phenomena:

1) natural materials

10

15,38

2) celestial bodies

6

9,23

3) seasons

4

6,15

4) months

4

6,15

5) parts of the day

3

4,62

6) miscellaneous

38

58,47

Total

65

100,00

II. Place names:

1) ethnographic regions

5

10,42

2) settlements

19

39,59

3) seas

1

2,08

4) lakes

—

—

5) rivers

15

31,25

6) mountains

1

2,08

7) miscellaneous

7

14,58

Total

48

100,00

III. Plant names:

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Table 3 (continued)

Group, subgroup

Number

%

1) trees

24

36,36

2) flowers

26

39,39

3) fruits

1

1,52

4) berries

3

4,55

5) miscellaneous

12

18,18

Total

66

100,00

IV. Animal names:

1) animals

18

36,74

2) birds

26

53,06

3) insects

4

8,16

4) miscellaneous

1

2,04

Total

49

100,00

V. Names of products and equipment:

1) products

21

70,00

2) equipment

9

30,00

Total

30

100,00

VI. People's names:

1) personal names

34

58,62

2) literary characters

6

10,34

234

3 lentelė (tęsinys)

Group, subgroup

Number

%

3) mythological names

7

12,07

4) miscellaneous

11

18,97

Total

58

100,00

VII. Concepts of human spiritual activity and creativity:

1) literature

6

14,63

2) music

6

14,63

3) art

3

7,32

4) sports, dances, games

10

24,39

5) people’s spiritual states, thoughts, feelings

13

31,71

6) miscellaneous

3

7,32

Total

41

100,00

(= “Kaštonas”), “Lavanda” (= “Levanda”), “Tokijo” (= “Tokijas”), “Topolis” (= “Tuopa”), “Žvejas” (= “Žvejys”), etc.

The use of industrial variants and doublets for naming different fabrics can be justified, for example: “Eglė” and “Eglutė”, “Lakštingala” and “Lakštutė”, “Pūkas” and “Pūkelis”, “Snaigė” and “Snieguolė”, “Svaja” and “Sv onė”, “Garnys” and “Gūžutis”, “Konvalija” and “Pakalnutė”, “Salvija” and “Šalavijas”, and so on. However, one should not rely on polysemous words that form proper fabric names.

Most proper fabric names are formed by transferring the meanings of animal, natural phenomenon, and plant names. Only very rarely can an industrial fabric name be assigned to suffixal derivation, for example: “Šviesė”, “Žiedė”. There are very few such derivatives, however. In the future, the word formation of Lithuanian industrial fabric names should be diversified. There are also few compound industrial names, for example: “Jūrinis krepas-74”, “Kauno marios”, “Lietuviškas drapas”, etc.

In terms of origin, most textile industry names are Lithuanian words. A few international ones occur, for example: „Akacija“, „Apolonas“, „Floksas“, „Fragmentas“, „Narcizas“, „Marsas“, „Orbita“, „Palmė“, „Reljefas“, „Šachmatai“, etc.

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Woolen fabrics (1950–1979)

Group, subgroup | Dress fabrics | Suit fabrics | number | number |% | number

I. Natural phenomena:

1) natural materials | – | – | 1 | 16.67 | 8

2) celestial bodies | 2 | 28.57 | – | – | 1

3) seasons | 1 | 14.29 | 1 | 16.67 | 3

4) months | – | – | 1 | 16.67 | 1

5) parts of the day | – | – | 1 | 16.67 | –

6) various | 4 | 57.14 | 2 | 33.32 | 6

Total | 7 | 100.00 | 6 | 100.00 | 19

II. Place names:

1) ethnographic regions | 2 | 100.00 | 1 | 5.00 | 5

2) settlements | – | – | 12 | 60.00 | 45

3) seas | – | – | – | – | –

4) lakes | – | – | 4 | 20.00 | 19

5) rivers | – | – | 2 | 10,00 | 16

6) mountains | – | – | 1 | 5,00 | –

7) various | – | – | – | – | 3

Total | 2 | 100,00 | 20 | 100,00 | 88

III. Plant names:

236

4 lentelė

pragmonymy according to sources of origin

Coat fabrics Drapery Furniture Total% number% number% number% 42,11 1 25,00 — — 10 27,78 5,26 1 25,00 — — 4 11,11 15,79 — — — — 5 13,89 5,26 1 25,00 — — 3 8,33 — — — — — 1 2,78 31,58 1 25,00 — — 13 36,11 100,00 4 100,00 — — 36 100,00 5,68 1 4,17 — — 9 6,57 51,13 10 41,66 2 66,67 69 50,36 — 1 4,17 — — 1 0,73 21,60 4 16,67 — — 27 19,71 18,18 5 20,83 — — 23 16,79 — 2 8,33 1 33,33 4 2,92 3,41 1 4,17 — — 4 2,92 100,00 24 100,00 3 100,00 137 100,00

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Group, subgroup

Dress fabrics

Suit fabrics

number

%

number

%

number

1) trees

5

17,86

19

67,86

13

2) flowers

17

60,71

4

14,28

7

3) fruits

—

—

1

3,57

—

4) berries

1

3,57

—

—

1

5) miscellaneous

5

17,86

4

14,29

3

Total

28

100,00

28

100,00

24

IV. Animal names:

1) livestock

—

—

2

7,69

1

2) birds

5

100,00

24

92,31

8

3) insects

—

—

—

—

2

4) miscellaneous

—

—

—

—

1

Total

5

100,00

26

100,00

12

V. Names of products and equipment:

1) products

2

50,00

5

100,00

5

2) equipment

2

50,00

—

—

—

Total

4

100,00

5

100,00

5

VI. Personal names:

1) given names

18

90,00

1

14,29

25

238

Table 4 (continued)

Coat fabrics | Drapery fabrics | Furniture fabrics | Total% | number |% | number |% | number |% 54,16 | 1 | 100,00 | — | — | 38 | 46,91 29,17 | — | — | — | — | 28 | 34,57 — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1,24 4,17 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2,47 12,50 | — | — | — | — | 12 | 14,81 100,00 | 1 | 100,00 | — | — | 81 | 100,00 8,33 | 2 | 66,67 | — | — | 5 | 10,87 66,67 | 1 | 33,33 | — | — | 38 | 82,61 16,67 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 4,35 8,33 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2,17 100,00 | 3 | 100,00 | — | — | 46 | 100,00 100,00 | 3 | 100,00 | 3 | 100,00 | 18 | 90,00 — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 10,00 100,00 | 3 | 100,00 | 3 | 100,00 | 20 | 100,00 67,57 | 3 | 25,00 | — | — | 47 | 61,84

239

Group, subgroup | Dress fabrics | Suit fabrics | * | number |% | number |% | number

2) literary characters | — | — | 1 | 14,29 | 2

3) mythological names | 1 | 5,00 | 2 | 28,57 | 5

4) miscellaneous | 1 | 5,00 | 3 | 42,85 | 5

Total | 20 | 100,00 | 7 | 100,00 | 37

VII. Concepts of human spiritual activity and creativity:

1) music — — 1 50,00 2

2) art | — | — | — | — | 1

3) sports | — | — | — | — | 1

4) people's spiritual states, thoughts, feelings | — | — | — | — | 1

5) miscellaneous | — | — | 1 | 50,00 | —

Total | — | — | 2 | 100,00 | 5

A. Montvilienė

A Publication on French Medical Terminology

Širkienė V. Prancūzų kalbos medicininė terminija. – V., 1977, 88 p. [Lietuvos TSR aukštojo ir specialiojo vidurinio mokslo ministerija. Kauno medicinos institutas].

The foreign-language instructors at Kaunas Medical Institute have prepared and published a considerable number of medical terminology handbooks intended for the students of this institute. Such work by the instructors is entirely commendable and should be encouraged. Terminology dictionaries and handbooks are not only important supplementary literature for students—they can help regulate and standardize terms, introduce normative and correct terms into usage, remedy deficiencies in terminology, and clarify its gaps. Thus, a terminology handbook properly prepared in consultation with specialists in the relevant field (in this case, medicine) and terminology linguists can effectively help improve the terminology of that field. This is particularly true of terminology in those scientific fields (including medicine) for which there are no substantial Lithuanian explanatory dictionaries or normative terminology dictionaries translating from the relevant languages.

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