Latvijos švietimo įstaigų simboliniai pavadinimai

VELGA LAUGALE University of Liepāja, Latvia SYMBOLIC NAMES OF LATVIAN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS In Latvian linguistics, the view is held that a symbolic name of an institution is a conditional name, usually written in quotation marks, italics, or another graphically distinctive form (Īpašvārdu rakstība 1998: 14). Symbolic names may consist of proper nouns, common words, combinations of proper and common words, or specially created names. Over the past 15 years, rapid computerization and the English language have had a major influence on their graphic presentation. The records of the Register of Enterprises of the Republic of Latvia show that symbolic names are widely used in forming company names. In the list of educational institutions, a special group is also made up of mixed names containing a symbolic component, i.e. symbolic names. These are word(s) that indicate the distinctive individual characteristics of an object designated by a nomenclatural unit; without them, the said nomenclatural unit can be used only in its generic sense, for example, pamatskola (primary school), vidusskola (secondary school), augstskola (higher education institution). Cf.: Pirmskolas izglītības iestāde „Saulīte“ (Preschool Education Institution “Saulīte” [“Sunshine”]), Arodskola „Dzīvesprieks“ (Vocational School “Dzīvesprieks” [“Joy of Life”]), Hokeja skola „Rīga“ (Ice Hockey School “Rīga”). Capitalization guidelines recommend a minimal structure for such names, for example, Sākumskola „Taurenītis“ (Primary School “Taurenītis” [“Butterfly”]), where “the nomenclatural word identifying the relevant type of enterprise is usually mentioned before the symbolic name” (Skujiņa 1999: 22). Only a few names in the material studied were found to follow the reverse pattern: symbolic name + nomenclatural words, for example, „Anšpēteru“ veselīgas ēdināšanas un servisa arodizglītības skola (“Anšpēteru” Vocational School of Healthy Catering and Service). The data collected show that the names of educational institutions very rarely conform to the aforementioned two-part struc- V. LAUGALE. Latvijos švietimo įstaigų simboliniai pavadinimai 211 ture. Usually, these names also include other descriptive elements, and two combinations of nomenclatural words are often joined, for example, „Aija Fashion“ Modelių skola un Stila studija (“Aija Fashion” Modeling School and Style Studio) (Laugale 2010: 147–163). However, in everyday spoken and written usage, the symbolic name is used as a name in its own right (e.g., „Turība“, „Saulīte“) without a nomenclatural word (Laugale 2009: 46–49). If the name of an educational institution is symbolic, the name of its locality is mentioned as a nomenclatural word relatively rarely. Such schools are found in Jūrmala (in these cases, the city’s name is not mentioned), as well as in other places in Latvia: Sākumskola „Ābelīte“ (Primary School “Ābelīte” [“Little Apple Tree”]), Sākumskola „Zvaniņš“ (Primary School “Zvaniņš” [“Little Bell”]). The tendency not to mention a place name in the name of an educational institution sometimes makes it difficult to find out where the school is located, for example: Sākumskola „UNIVERSUM“ (Primary School “UNIVERSUM”) in Valmiera, Eksperimentālā Kristīgā vidusskola „Staburadzē“ (Experimental Christian School “Staburadzē”) in Jūrmala, Arodskola „Dzīvesprieks“ (Vocational School “Dzīvesprieks” [“Joy of Life”]) in Vanes parish, Tukums district, and so on. THE FORM OF THE SYMBOLIC NAME When creating school names, the norms of standard Latvian are important. Every name is also a word that performs all the functions characteristic of a word. Most often, it is an inflected word with all the grammatical features characteristic of the Latvian language. Invariable forms A symbolic name generally conforms to the rules of the language, but as the name of an institution it often means nothing, perhaps only attracting attention through its unusualness. A name in an invariable form is more difficult to use: Ropažu mūzikas un mākslas skola „RODENPOIS“ (Ropaži Music and Art School “RODENPOIS”), Mācību ražošanas kombināts „Zerko“ (Training and Production Combine “Zerko”). To understand the meaning of such names, additional information is always needed, for example: “Rodenpois” is the old name of the town of Ropaži (in Livonian, it means “iron boy”); even the institution’s administration does not know the meaning of the name “Zerko” (from a conversation with the director, Arvyds Lacis, on November 12, 2008). 212 KALBOS KULTŪRA | 83 It is convenient when a symbolic name (even if sometimes artificially created) can be inflected, e.g.: Modes skola „ANISOLS“ (Fashion School “ANISOLS”), Privātā Profesionālā vidusskola „SIGMA“ (Private Vocational Secondary School “SIGMA”). Some symbolic names of educational institutions consist of letter abbreviations: Profesionālās pamatizglītības iestāde „ZET“ (Vocational Basic Education Institution “ZET”). Understanding them also requires additional information and certain knowledge. For example, the abbreviation forming the symbolic name Mācību centrs „RIMAN“ (Training Centre “RIMAN”) is formed from the first syllables of the words in the name of the company renting the premises, “Rīgas manufaktūra.” This could symbolize the location of the school. A symbolic name in another language (e.g., Russian) does not violate the provisions of the State Language Law if it is written in Latin characters. A symbolic name in Russian reinforces the information by duplicating it, e.g.: Privātā krievu nacionālā vidusskola „Podsolnuh“ (Private Russian National School “Podsolnuch”)1. In this case, the explanatory text added in Latvian clarifies information about the school even for those who do not know Russian. Interestingly, the school was established as a private primary school „Saulespuķe“2. THE EXPRESSION OF SYMBOLIC NAMES “Although the purpose of a symbolic name is not to describe directly the nature and main functions of an institution, one should nevertheless try to choose or create a name that helps describe the essence of the institution, directly or indirectly, through a concept, symbol, or other means” (Skujiņa 1999: 22). Symbolic names are often used for specific institutions that provide education in a particular field (e.g., art, sports, dance). Such names are usually related to those fields, e.g.: Starptautiskā frizieru mākslas skola „Skaistums“ (International School of Hairdressing Art “Skaistums” [“Beauty”]), Hokeja skola „Aisbergs“ (Hockey School “Aisbergs” [“Iceberg”]), Šūšanas un rokdarbu skola „Burda Rīga“ (Sewing and Handicrafts School “Burda Riga”). 1 Podsolnuch – sunflower. 2 Saulespuķe – sunflower. V. LAUGALE. Latvijas švietimo įstaigų simboliniai pavadinimai 213 Place name, which is not included in the name as an element of direct meaning, may be used as a symbolic name, in which case it performs a distinguishing function. The name may consist of the name of a city: Bērnu un jauniešu basketbola skola „RĪGA“ (Children’s and Youth Basketball School “RIGA”), Vidzemes jaunatnes futbola centrs „Staicele“ (Vidzemes Youth Sports Center “Staicele”3), Sporta centrs „Daugavpils ledus“ (Sports Center “Daugavpils Ice”); the name of a city district – Bērnu un jaunatnes sporta skola „Jugla“ (Children’s and Youth Sports School “Jugla”) in Riga; sometimes a specific part of the city is indicated – Sporta skola „Arkādija“ (Sports School “Arkādija”) in Riga, Profesionālās ievirzes sporta skola „Pārdaugava“ (Professional Orientation Sports School “Pārdaugava”) in Riga; a specific building – Bērnu un jauniešu sporta centrs „Daugavas sporta nams“ (Children’s and Youth Sports Center “Daugava Sports Hall”) in Riga. Old place names are sometimes used as symbolic names, for example the name of the stream Rīdzene in the names of two schools—Bērnu un jaunatnes sporta skola „Rīdzene“ (Children’s and Youth Sports School “Rīdzene”) in Riga and Pamatskola „Rīdze“ (Primary School “Rīdze”), also in Riga; Privātā vidusskola „Mītava“ (Private Secondary School “Mītava”) in Jelgava—the basis for this name is an earlier name for Jelgava. Users may be misled when a symbolic name contains a place name but the location of the school is unrelated to that place name. Confusion may arise from the word Dauguva (during the Latvian SSR, there was a sports society “Dauguva” active in all districts), for example, LIEPĀJAS SPORTA SKOLA „DAUGAVA“ (Liepāja Sports School “Daugava”)4. Since the name of this river already occurs in the name of one school, the name of the newer school Hokeja skola „Rīgas Daugava“ (Ice Hockey School “Riga Daugava”) also specifies the location to avoid confusion. In the first case, the name was chosen without due consideration—a specific word should provide information about a specific object; that is, lexical meaning must correspond to reality. This is essential, since one of the functions of a symbolic name is to simplify communication. This is especially important for sports schools, whose names are often also the names of sports teams. For this reason, the use of one and the same place name in the names of several different schools seems unjustified, for example: Bērnu un jauniešu 3 Staicele is a town in northwestern Vidzeme. 4 The city of Liepāja is in the southwestern part of Latvia and has no connection with the River Daugava. 214 KALBOS KULTŪRA | 83 basketbola skola „RĪGA“ (Children’s and Youth Basketball School “RIGA”) and Hokeja skola „Rīga“ (Ice Hockey School “Riga”); Iecavas novada sporta skola „Dartija“ (Iecava Region Sports School “Dartija”) and Sākumskola „Dartija“ (Primary School “Dartija”) in Bauska District5. A symbolic name may indicate the ethnicity of the pupils (if it is not mentioned in the literal description). Such a name is formed on the basis of concepts specific to a particular ethnic group that are important and meaningful to people of that ethnicity. It indicates that pupils of a particular ethnicity attend the educational institution, for example: Rīgas ģimnāzija „IVRIT“ (Riga Gymnasium “IVRIT”). Naturally, the person creating such a name must be firmly convinced that the word is familiar to speakers of the language. A characteristic feature of symbolic names is linguistic economy, which essentially means the possibility of creating vivid, concise names that evoke associations and help attract prospective clients (Емельянова 2007: 7). This may be a word with a positive meaning, associated with the quality of education, for example: Frizieru skola „Vernišaža“ (Hairdressing School “Vernišaža”). In recent years, there has been a tendency, particularly in the names of private educational institutions, to use various evaluative and qualifying words that make a name original or distinctive compared with others. However, the meaning of such symbolic names is not always clear without additional information: Frizieru skola–studija „Galateja“ (Hairdressing School–Studio “Galateja”), Frizieru skola „Studija–I“ (Hairdressing School “Studio–I”), Biznesa skola „Nimfa 2000“ (Business School “Nimfa 2000”), Privātā vidusskola „Gaismas tilts 97“ (Private Secondary School “Gaismas tilts [‘Bridge of Light’] 97”), Mākslas skola „Iberians“ (Art School “Iberians”), Daugavpils mākslas vidusskola „Saules skola“ (Daugavpils Secondary Art School “Sun School”). International words are often used in symbolic names. This is viewed positively, especially when a word has already become assimilated into Latvian and is included in Latvian explanatory dictionaries (e.g., norma, harmonija). Their meaning is clear to language users because the context provided—the generic designation—indicates that this is a school name. Such symbolic school names reveal the founders’ intentions, although the words may have multiple meanings, e.g.: harmonija—4 meanings (SV 1999: 266), alfa—4 meanings (SV 1999: 42). Compare: Pamatskola „Harmonija“ (Primary School 5 Dartija is a settlement in the Iecava region of Bauska District. V. LAUGALE. Latvijos švietimo įstaigų simboliniai pavadinimai 215 school “Harmonija”), Gr. harmonia — “harmony, proportionality of the parts of things or phenomena” (SV 1999: 266); Privātā sākumskola „Alfa“ (Private Primary School “Alfa”) in Jelgava (alpha and omega is a biblical phraseological expression, i.e. beginning and end, the most important thing, the foundation of everything; LFV I 1997: 76) is a Christian-oriented school, which is why its abbreviation, too, was taken from the Bible (from a conversation with the principal, Ingvilda Ivanova, on 12 November 2008). However, context (in this case, the connection with an educational institution) does not always help to avoid polysemy, that is, to emphasize just one meaning. For example, the dictionary of international words lists three meanings for the word norma (SV 1999: 522). The school’s administrator, Irina Lode (22 November 2008), explained that the symbolic name Privātā vidusskola „NORMA“ (Private Secondary School “NORMA”) was chosen in accordance with the meaning of the international word (Lat. norma — “measure, example”) “rule, principle, standard” (SV 1999: 522), in order to emphasize that the school is not devoted to any particular special field, like some other private schools, but that teaching there meets a universal standard. Ambiguities may arise when a name in another language is not understood and not all foreign-language words are included in the relevant dictionaries. Several Latvian school names are of this kind, for example, Privātskola „Latreia“ (Private School “Latreia”). This was the first private school in restored independent Latvia; its name consists of a Greek word meaning “inspiration” (from a conversation with the principal, Valdis Krūmiņš, on 22 November 2008). The meaning of the word in Greek is “service; service in a temple of God” (LGC VV 1999: 68). The name of the school Privātā pamatskola „Maksima“ (Private Basic School “Maksima”) uses a Latin word [Lat. maxima, (regula, sententia) — “foundation, law, highest principle”], because this word is associated with moral and ethical principles and rules of conduct that guide a person, according to the school’s administration (the school principal, Inara Kuharjonoka, 12 November 2008). In some cases, the meaning of a name can be inferred if one has some specialized prior knowledge (e.g. of Roman mythology). One such example is the name of the school RSEBAAs Profesionālā Vidusskola „VICTORIA“ (RSEBAA Professional Secondary School “VICTORIA”), which incorporates the Latin name of Victoria, the goddess of victory (SV 1999: 830). According to the school administration, this means “first profession, first victory” (from a conversation with the principal, Andžela Dubinska, on 26 November 2008). 216 KALBOS KULTŪRA | 83 The section on the formation of names in the State Language Law stipulates that an entity’s name must be written in Latin or Latvian letters. Some names meet this basic requirement, yet the unexplained meaning of the symbol may nevertheless remain unclear—for example, Rīgas sākumskola „Papatya“ (Riga Primary School “Papatya”). Latvian words are best suited to perform the function of symbols, since their meaning—that is, their semantics and symbolic function—is readily understood without comment or additional information, for example: Privātā pamatskola „Avots“ (Private Basic School “Avots” [“Spring”]), Privātā pamatskola „Saulgrieži“ (Private Basic School “Saulgrieži” [“Solstice”]), Privātā sākumskola „Namiņš“ (Private Primary School “Namiņš” [“Little House”]), Privātā vidusskola „Taka“ (Private Secondary School “Taka” [“Path”]), Privātsākumskola „Varavīksne“ (Private Primary School “Varavīksne” [“Rainbow”]). Using a word in its literal meaning in a symbolic name is viewed positively; such a symbol can perform the functions of a name more effectively and precisely. For example, the word spars (LLVV VII2 1991: 85) means “drive, endeavor, perseverance” (in activity or conduct); its vigorous expression and energy make it suitable as a name for a sports institution: Ventspils pilsētas domes Izglītības pārvaldes Sporta skola „Spars“ (Ventspils City Council Education Administration Sports School “Spars”). Rare Latvian words sometimes also occur as unusual symbols: Privātā pamatskola „Patnis“ (Private Basic School “Patnis”); the meaning of patnis is “individual” (LLVV VI1 1986: 519). Privātā vidusskola „Laisma“ (Private Secondary School “Laisma”) has incorporated the rare word laisma into its name; it means “an enjoyable activity” in dialect (LLVV IV 1980: 578). The possibilities for choosing symbolic names are unlimited. Sometimes school founders consider it important to symbolically incorporate into a name the new teaching methods used at the school, for example, Privātsākumskola „Innova“ (Private Primary School “Innova”). A conversation with the principal, Inta Baltiņa (22 November 2008), revealed that the name is based on the Latin word innovatio, “renewal, change” (SV 1999: 308), which is associated with new educational teaching methods. Similar associations arise in connection with another name, Privātvidusskola „Brīvā attīstība“ (Private Secondary School “Brīvā attīstība” [“Free Development”]); the meaning of this phrase relates to the development of students’ individual abilities (free development is a concept in alternative education). V. LAUGALE. Latvijas švietimo įstaigų simboliniai pavadinimai 217 It is worth examining the symbolic name of the speech therapy school Rīgas sākumskola „Valodiņa“ (Riga Primary School “Valodiņa” [“Little Tongue”]). To avoid words associated with speech defects in the school’s name, it was named “Valodiņa” in 2003. It is currently the only special school in Latvia whose name does not contain the word special. In terms of its lexical meaning and usage, this name is considered a euphemism. Sometimes a symbolic name may consist of a personal name, but institutional registration documents show that these are neither the names of founders, owners, nor school principals, and additional information is needed to establish the motivation, for example: Privātsākumskola „Elita“ (Private Primary School “Elita”), Profesionālās pamatizglītības iestāde „Studija Maija“ (Maija Studio Vocational Basic Education Institution). The people who coin names are not lacking in creative imagination and vivid fantasy; one private school was even named after the famous seafarer Christopher Columbus: Privātā sākumskola „Kolumbs“ (Private Primary School “Columbus”) in Riga. Animal names are used in the names of educational institutions to evoke their characteristic qualities; for example, the name of a predator chosen for a sports school is associated with a fighting spirit. Sometimes an animal is chosen as a team mascot: the flag of the adult ice hockey team “Riga 2000” bears a lion, while the children’s sports school chose another, smaller animal as its symbol—a lynx: Profesionālās ievirzes sporta izglītības iestāde „Lūši“ (Professional Orientation Sports Education Institution “Lūši” [“Lynxes”]). For a carefully considered choice of symbol that stands out both in meaning and in its ability to attract attention, consider Tautskola „99 Baltie zirgi“ (Folk School “99 White Horses”). The school’s director, Ojārs Ruode, explains that the name, recommended by an expert in folk traditions, carries many meanings6. Support from sponsors is important to sports schools and their teams, so sometimes a school’s name consists of the sponsoring company’s name, 6 The number 9 signifies completeness and rhythm; mathematicians know this well. 99 is not just a number; it means “many.” In ancient times there was a nine-day calendar. Children are born after nine months. In turn, white means “divine”; folk beliefs of various peoples speak of the north, where one must seek something bright and beautiful. The horse is an intermediary between this world and the next. The white horse once determined fate. When an important decision had to be made, the horse was told to take the first step. In the region (Cēsis District, Drusti Parish; clarification mine – V. L.), there is a tradition: if someone encounters a white horse, it will be a happy day, and when you count 99 white horses, there will be a wedding—which means a new beginning. “We learned from the people and wanted to teach the people something, and that is how the name of the folk school came about. We have tried to maintain this mutual relationship to this day” (the magazine Patiesā Dzīve, 2008, No. 21, 22). 218 KALBOS KULTŪRA | 83 for example: Specializētā sporta skola „Latvijas Bērzs“ (Specialized Sports School “Latvijas Bērzs” [“Latvian Birch”]). A special group consists of symbolic names of early childhood education institutions—90 percent of them have a symbolic name in the diminutive form of a noun. It is apparent that the symbolic names of many kindergartens consist of the same words. For example, the word Saulīte (“Little Sun”) appears in the names of 19 early childhood education institutions, Pasaçiņa (“Little Story”) in 13 names, and Bitīte (“Little Bee”) and Sprīdītis (“Little Sprīdītis”) in 11 kindergarten names each. In noun diminutives, the diminutive suffixes -iņ-, -īt-, -ēn-, -uk- generally express a positive evaluation, lending words a tone of tenderness, sincerity, and affection. A symbolic word makes the name of an educational institution more personal, but the meaning of the word, even when used in an institution’s name, affects both children and staff (these questions are related to sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, and ethnolinguistics and should be further investigated). A symbol in an institution’s name is a sign of a particular culture, enriching its semantics with a system of thought and concepts that reflect that specific culture. It should be borne in mind that “the use of words/names may give rise to personal associations and shape an individual emotional attitude toward the object denoted, but its cultural and national essence is expressed by the commonly used connotation” (Аюпова 2004: 44). Although the symbolic names of educational institutions (especially early childhood education institutions) are highly diverse, this article provides only a brief overview of this group of names and describes the main types. ŠALTINIAI Latvijos Respublikos švietimo ir mokslo ministerijos švietimo įstaigų registrai: http://doc.izm.gov.lv/liis/org/pases.nsf/WebIzgl3?OpenView LITERATŪRA Īpašvārdu rakstība 1998: Īpašvārdu rakstība, Rīga: LR Valsts valodas centrs. L a u g a l e V. 2009: Izglītības iestāžu nosaukumi latviešu valodā: lingvistiskais aspekts. Promocijas darba kopsavilkums filoloģijas doktora grāda iegūšanai valodniecības zinātņu nozares latviešu sinhroniskās valodniecības apakšnozarē, Liepāja: LiePA. V. LAUGALE. Latvijas švietimo įstaigų simboliniai pavadinimai 219 Laugale V. 2010: Skolu nosaukumu struktūra Latvijā un Lietuvā / Mokyklų pavadinimų sandara Latvijoje ir Lietuvoje. – Res Humanitariae VI, Klaipėda: Klaipėdos universiteto leidykla, 147–163. LFV I 1997: Laua A., Ezerina A., Veinberga S. Latviešu frazeoloģijas vārdnīca, 1. sējums, Rīga: Avots. LGCVV 1999: Skujiņa V. Latīņu un grieķu cilmes vārddaļu vārdnīca, Rīga: Kamene. LLV 1955: Latīņu-latviešu vārdnīca, Rīga: Latvijas Valsts izdevniecība. LLVV 1972–1996: Latviešu literārās valodas vārdnīca, 1.–8. sējums, Rīga: Zinātne. MLLVG I 1959: Mūsdienu latviešu literārās valodas gramatika, I. daļa, Rīga: LPSR ZA izdevniecība. Skujiņa V. 1999: Latviešu valoda lietišķajos rakstos, Rīga: Zvaigzne ABC. SV 1969: Svečvārdu vārdnīca, Rīga: Liesma. SV 1999: Svečvārdu vārdnīca, Rīga: Jumava. Аюпова Е. И. 2004: О символическом компоненте значения слова. – Русская и сопоставительная филология: состояние и перспективы. Меж-дународная научная конференция, посвященная 200-летию Казанского университета, Казань: Издательство Казанского университета. Емельянова А. М. 2007: Эргонимы в лингвистическом ландшафте полиэтнического города. Автореферат диссертации на соискание ученой степени кандидата филологических наук, Уфа: Башкирский гос. пед. университет. Маслова В. А. 2001: Лингвокультурология, Москва: Академия. Романова Т. П. 2006: Эволюционные процессы в области современной российской эргономической терминологии. – Вопросы ономастики, № 3, Издательство Уральского университета. Gauta 2010 10 28 220 KALBOS KULTŪRA | 83 SYMBOLIC NAMES OF THE LATVIAN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS S u m m a r y The documents of the Latvian Company Registrar show that the names of enterprises and companies are often symbolic. The same can be said about the names of the educational establishments which include a specific group of ergonyms made from mixed names with a symbolic part, so-called symbolic names. They can be found in the names of different schools, for example, primary school Saulīte, vocational school Dzīvesprieks, hockey school Riga, business university Turība. In everyday use, which also covers written language, the symbolic name is used as a constant designation, for example Turība, Saulīte etc., without any mention of the educational institution. The functions of the symbol can be conveyed by toponyms, e. g. Riga, abbreviations, e. g. ZET, RIMAN, internationalisms, e. g. NORMA, Harmonija, and groups of words, e. g. Brīvā attīstība. The names of Latvian origin are particularly appreciated as their semantic meaning is quite clear, e. g. Avots ‘spring’, Taka ‘path’, Valodiņa ‘language (diminutive form)’. The connection between the symbolic meaning and the specialization of the school is obvious. For example, diminutives are particularly frequent in the names of primary schools: Ievina ‘a small bird cherry tree’, Dzintariņš ‘a small piece of amber’, Skudriņa ‘a small ant’. The names for sport schools are chosen from words related to the notion of strength: Lūši ‘lynx’, Aisbergs ‘iceberg’. The study has shown that symbolic words are very often used in the names of different schools so a more extensive research could reveal other interesting tendencies in the practice of institutional names. VELGA LAUGALE Liepājas Universitāte Kūrmājas prosp. 13, LV-3401 Liepāja [email protected] V. LAUGALE. Latvijas švietimo įstaigų simboliniai pavadinimai 221