94 Linda Ku miņa | Me hodso plan name o ma ion
| usedin hewo ksbyJānisIls e s
Me hods o plan name o ma ion
used in he wo ks by Jānis Ils e s
LINDA KURMIņA
La ianLanguageIns i u eo LU
KEYWORDS: bo any e minology, plan names, wo d o ma ion, Jānis Ils e s
The ini ial s ages o bo any e minology o ma ion ha e been deal
wi h in nume ous wo ks (Vīksna 2002; Vimba 2001; Pie e 2008) and
i s i s achie emen s ha e mos equen ly been a ibu ed o he
bo anis , eache and poe Jānis Ils e s (1851–1889), who in 1883 published
he i s bo any book in La ian Bo ānika au asskolāmunpašmācībai
(Bo any o  olkschoolsandsel -ins uc ion) (Ils e s 1883). This wo k only
con ained a he ew mos widesp ead names o plan s, accompanied by
mo e de ailed desc ip ions.
As he main sou ce o he p esen esea ch o me hods used in o ma-
ion o plan names a he end o he 19 h cen u y he la ges collec ions o
bo any e ms by Jānis Ils e s La iešubo āniskinosaukumi (La ianbo any
names; Ils e s I, 1884; Ils e s II, 1885) we e used. These collec ions we e
published in 1884 and 1885 in jou nals o Rīgas La iešu bied ības Zinību
komisija (Riga La ian Socie y Commission o Science).
The p esen a icle discusses he o ma ion me hods o he names
exce p ed om Ils e s’ plan name lis s, also compa ing hem wi h plan
names documen ed in la e e m sou ces, including mode n ones, mainly
Bo āniskā ā dnīca by Pauls Galenieks (Dic iona yo bo any; BV 1950)
and he dic iona y by Inese Ēdelmane and Ā ija Ozola La iešu alodas
augunosaukumi (La ianLanguagePlan Names; LVAN 2003). The anal-
ysis o he plan names published a he end o he 19 h cen u y helps o
e eal he mos cha ac e is ic o ma ion me hods used du ing he ini ial
s ages o he La ian bo any e minology.
Ils e s called o people’s ac i e pa icipa ion in collec ion o plan names.
This is p o en by his a e wo d o he i s lis o plan names La iešu
bo āniskinosaukumi published in 1884: “Vēl i pulks gene u, ku iem gan
iņu ispā īgas izpla īšanās dēļ la iski nosaukumi ienā ai o ā idū
95Te minologija | 2012 | 19
a asies. Tādēļ bū u de īgi, kad zinā āji uz p iekšu os ie ē o u un a bū
La iešu bied ības “Zinību Komisijai” piesū ī u p iekš āļākas izlie āšanas,
kas bo ānikas sa aks ī ājiem līdzē u pie iņu da ba”1 (Ils e s I, 1884: 81).
His call was also answe ed – al eady in he second lis o La iešubo āniski
nosaukumi (in 1885) he au ho publishes no only addi ions o his col-
lec ion bu also he collec ed ma e ial sen o him.
This means ha Ils e s has included in bo h o his plan name lis s he
names collec ed by himsel ( hese can be ound on bo h he i s and he
second lis ) and he ones sen o him by o he collec o s (mainly on he
second lis ). This ma e ial mainly includes plan names om Vidzeme,
less ep esen ed a e Ku zeme and Zemgale. The au ho ’s own collec ions
a e om S ukmaņi, Koknese, Ves iena and Dundaga. On he o he hand
he mos o he names con ibu ed by o he collec o s come om Vidzeme
(Lieze e, Valmie a, Cēsis, T ikā a, Sigulda), wi h lesse ep esen a ion o
Ku zeme (Aizpu e, Kuldīga) and Zemgale (Dobele). None o he wo plan
name lis s compiled by Ils e s ea u es any name om La gale.
The ma e ial collec ed by Ils e s mainly comp ises names o species,
hough he e a e some names o gene a as well. In he p e ace o he i s
lis (Ils e s 1884: 63–64) he au ho poin s ou ha many La ian plan
names ha e no ye been sys ema ically a anged – qui e o en because o
he simila i ies o di e ences o plan s hey may ha e been gi en inac-
cu a e names. In some cases plan s belonging o di e en gene a ha e he
same name and names o plan s o he same gene a a e synonymous.
Ils e s no ed ha specialis s o bo any would ha e o do some hing abou
hese names in he u u e.
Bo h lis s a e a anged alphabe ically. The La in names a e p esen ed
i s , hen one o mo e o hei La ian equi alen s a e gi en. In many
cases he compile ’s commen s a e added nex o he headwo d o pos-
sible explana ion o he o igin is sugges ed. A he end he Ge man
equi alen is gi en. Fo ins ance:
“Hype icumL., asinszāles, aganukauli, k us enes, (s u enes); pēdējais nosau-
kums ādēļ ā, ka šī puķe apakš K is us k us a s ā ējusi un uz iņas K is us
asins pilējis. Johannisblu , Ha heu.”2.
1 T ansla ion: “The e a e s ill many gene a o which La ian names can be ound in one egion o ano he
due o hei being so widesp ead. The e o e i would be use ul ha hose who know hem would in
u u e no e hem, and maybe send hem o he “Science Commission” o he La ian Socie y o u u e
use, which would help he eco de s o bo any in hei wo k”.
2 T ansla ion: „Hype icumL., asinszāles, aganukauli, k us enes, (s u enes); he las plan has such name
because i g ew nex o he c oss o Ch is and Ch is ’s blood was d ipping on i . Johannisblu , Ha heu”
96 Linda Ku miņa | Me hodso plan name o ma ion
| usedin hewo ksbyJānisIls e s
As Anna Vulāne w i es, language is in con inuous p ocess o de elop-
men , wi h especially ac i e changes on he lexical le el. Wi h new objec s
and no ions being c ea ed and in oduced as he esul o social eco-
nomic de elopmen , also he need o gi ing hose possibly mo e exac
names a ises. One o he op ions o mee his need is o c ea e new wo ds
and names. Al hough he in ensi y o use o one o some o he me hod
o means, he p oduc i i y and ac i i y o he de i a i e ype changes
o e ime and e en new me hods and means a e in oduced, he in o -
ma ion included in he wo d is e ained (Vulāne 2008: 88). The examples
ela ed o lo a may be indica i e o : 1) loca ion o g ow h (pu ene,
zemenes); 2) esemblance in appea ance (ķepaiņi,lācenes); 3) ime o
blossoming o ipening (jāņogas,mā iņpuķes).
While analysing he co esponding plan names i was concluded ha
di e en me hods o wo d o ma ion ha e been used in hei c ea ion:
° wo d de i a ion o a ixa ion, o example kazenāji3 (Rubus caesius),
nak enes(Solanum nig um), ozī es(Bellis pe ennis);
° c ea ion o compounds, o examplegaiļug iķes(Con ol ulus);
° c ea ion o wo d-g oup names, o example dzel enāskumeles(An -
hemis inc o ia), eca ī abā zdiņa(Thymus se pyllum);
° c ea ion o hyphena ed names, o example buku- ī ols(Salix imi-
nalis),laumas-slo a(Apasagus o icinalis).
Fu he in he a icle each indi idual me hod o he men ioned abo e
will be discussed in mo e de ail.
1. DERIVATION OR AFFIXATION
In he ma e ial collec ed by Ils e s he e a e many such plan names
ha ha e been c ea ed as a esul o wo d de i a ion o a ixa ion, name-
ly an a ix – a p e ix, su ix o de i a i e ending – being added o he
wo d oo o s em acco ding o he wo d- o ma ion models ex an in he
language. This is one o he mos p oduc i e wo d o ma ion me hods in
he La ian language as such and also so in ega d o plan name o ma-
ion (VPSV 2007: 57; MLLVG I, 1959: 81; Kalme, Smil niece 2001: 42).
When de i ing a new wo d usually a single a ix is used, o example
pā -cel- →ne-pā -cel- ,pā -cel-šan-a,pā -cēl-āj-s. Bu he e also a e
many wo ds wi h wo o mo e a ixes, and he sequence o adding o hese
is di icul o es ablish, o example he adjec i e ie-zilg-an-s (‘bluish’)
3 He e and u he he ansc ip ion o he examples ollows he no ms o he mode n La ian language.
97Te minologija | 2012 | 19
may ha e been de i ed ei he om he wo d ie-zilg-s using he su ix
-an-o om he wo d zilg-an-s wi h he p e ix ie-. Some wo ds s ill a e
de i ed using wo a ixes simul aneously – wi h a p e ix and a su ix, o
example, pā -pu -o- ; wi h a p e ix and de i a i e ending, o example
aiz-skap-e; wi h wo su ixes, o example ā s -niec-isk-s. This is a es ed
by he ac ha hese wo ds ha e no co esponding mo i a ing wo d wi h
a single a ix (pā pu s,pu o ;aizskapis,skape, e c.) (Kalme, Smil niece
2001: 42–43).
The p e iously said may also be e e ed o he de i a ions o plan
names, o example čūsk-en-āj-i (O chis macula a), zi dz-en-āj-s (Rubus
u icosus).
The basis o a de i ed plan name may be a noun ( o example, blusenes
(Polygonum pe sica ia), ziepene (Sapona ia o icinalis)), an adjec i e ( o
example, skābenes (Rumex), zilenes (Vaccinium uliginosum)) as well as
a e b ( o example noa nes (Pimpinella)). These plan names may be
di ided in o se e al g oups:
° plan names de i ed wi h a su ix – in he analysed ma e ial he
ollowing su ixes ha e been ound as used o de i a ion o plan
names: -āj-,-el-,-en-,-iņ-,-ī -;
° plan names de i ed using a de i a i e ending.
Plan names de i ed using he su ix -āj-
MLLVG men ions ha he su ix -āj- ( espec i ely he ul ima -ājs) is
used o de i e plan names om he noun s ems, while i is a ely used
oday in o ma ion o names (MLLVG I, 1959: 90). Judging by he plan
names collec ed by Ils e s one can each he conclusion ha his su ix
has been qui e equen ly used in o ma ion o plan names.
MLLVG men ions se e al meanings c ea ed o ming plan names wi h
he su ix -āj-: a) om he names o be ies, using he su ix -āj-,wo ds
a e o med ha ei he deno e a single plan o – mo e equen ly – a
g oup o such plan s; b) om di e en names o plan s wo ds a e de i ed
ha deno e a la ge o smalle g oup o hese plan s o a loca ion whe e
hese plan s can be ound in abundance (MLLVG I, 1959: 92). The lis s
o La iešubo āniskinosaukumi only include such names o plan s ha
belong o he i s g oup, namely hose deno ing ei he a single plan o
a g oup o such, beyond ha he au ho indica es ha he ul imas -ājs,
-āji a e equen ly used in o ma ion o names o bushes (including hose
o lilac): a enāji (Rubus idaeus),b uklenājs (Vaccinium i is idaea),
98 Linda Ku miņa | Me hodso plan name o ma ion
| usedin hewo ksbyJānisIls e s
dundu nāji (Geum i ale), dze enājs (Vaccinium oxycoccus), ē kšķogāji
(Ribes g osula ia),i benājs (Vibu num opulus),kazenāji (Rubus caesius),
sp adzenājs (F aga ia collina), zemenājs (F aga ia esca).
Plan names de i ed using he su ix -el-
The wo ds o med using he su ix -el-may be ancien de i a ions, and
oday his su ix is only p oduc i e in o ming he diminu i es (MLLVG
I, 1959: 93, 94). Also in he lis s o plan names by Ils e s he e a e ew
wo ds wi h his su ix, while he ones ound a he do no ha e he di-
minu i e meaning o example, spīdeles(Bellis pe ennis).
Plan names de i ed using he su ix -en-
As s a ed in MLLVG he su ix -en- ( espec i ely he ul ima -ene) has
been used o o m a la ge g oup o plan , be y and mush oom names,
and his is qui e a p oduc i e su ix (MLLVG I, 1959: 95). In he ma e-
ial collec ed by Ils e s he ollowing examples can be ound:ci ene
(Alisma), elksnene (Aga icus subdulcis),kaulenes (Rubus saxa ilis), lipene
(Lychnis diu na), nak enes(Solanum nig um), p ecenes (As e salici olius),
asenes (D ose a), īsene (B iza media), ilnene (Aga icus subdulcis),
is enes (Empe um nig um),zīdenes(Cen au ea).
Plan names de i ed using he su ix -iņ-
Usually he su ix -iņ- is used o de i e diminu i e o ms, wi h he
meaning o bo h some eal diminu i e and emo ionally subjec i e e alu-
a ion, s ill he diminu i e meaning is neu alised when nouns wi h he
ul imas -iņš,-iņa each e m s a us (MLLVG I, 1959: 112–113, 117), as
in he case o , o example he ollowing plan names:auniņi (E ige on
ace ), liniņi (Lina ia ulga is), plaks iņi (Alec olophus), žaga iņa (Majan-
hemum bi olium).
Plan names de i ed using he su ix -ī -
The su ix -ī - is a eal diminu i e su ix, howe e as in he case o he
su ix -iņ- wo ds o med using his su ix, when hey acqui e he cha ac-
e is ics o a e m, lose he meaning o bo h endea men and diminu i e
(MLLVG I, 1959: 130–131). In he ma e ial collec ed by Ils e s he su ix
-ī -appea s o be equen ly used in plan name o ma ion, o example,
plu al ancīši, dadzīši (Ag imonia eupa o ia), bā enī e (Viola iclo ),cepu ī es
(Campanula), kumelī es(Ma ica ia chamomilla),ku pī es (Aconi um lycoc-

99Te minologija | 2012 | 19
onum), pulks enī es(Campanula), ozī es(Bellis pe ennis), plu al sunīši
(Bidens), epī e (Po en illa anse ina).
Plan names de i ed using a de i a i e ending
A de i a i e ending is mos ly used o o m nouns, e bs and ad e bs.
In wo d o ma ion he ollowing de i a i e endings a e used: -a,-e,-is,
-s,- ,-ies,-i,-u (Vulāne 2008: 101). Two o hose, namely-eun-is(plu-
al -i) ha e been ound used in o ma ion o he exce p ed plan names.
The ollowing examples can be lis ed om he plan name collec ion:
ziemele (p obably om ziemelis‘no h’) (Ch ysan hemum leucan hemum)
(c . ME IV, 1929–1932: 742), izbuļi (Anemone) (c . Ka ulis II, 1992:
542). Plan names may be also de i ed by a p e ix and a de i a i e end-
ing, o example egl-e → pa-egl-is (Junipe us communis), o a compound
name may be c ea ed o which he de i a i e ending is added, o exam-
ple sausase de ‘d y co e’ → saus-+se d-is (Lonice a xylos eum), ū as
( eida)lapa ‘co ne ( o med) lea ’ → ū -+lap-e (Aquilegia ulga is).
2. FORMATION OF COMPOUNDS
In he ma e ial o plan names collec ed by Ils e s compound names a e
qui e equen .
Compounds a e names o med by uni ing a leas wo independen
wo ds o hei s ems, and hey unc ion in he language as a single lexi-
cal uni . Uni ing o wo ds in o compounds in he same way as wo d
de i a ion) is one o he mos p oduc i e me hods o new wo d o ma ion
in he mode n La ian language (VPSV 2007: 338; MLLVG I, 1959: 84;
Kalme, Smil niece 2001: 47). As no ed by Vilma Kalme, di e en pa s
o speech may become he i s componen o a compound: nouns, adjec-
i es, nume als, p onouns, e bs, ad e bs (Kalme, Smil niece 2001: 47–48).
In compound names o plan s he i s pa in mos cases is a noun, o
example mi oņupuķe‘co pse’s lowe ’ (Lina ia ulga is), meža ozī e ‘wood’s
ose’ (Ge anium), o an adjec i e, o example bal ēde iņi‘whi e bellies’
(Po en illa anse ina), mazpu enī e ‘small ma sh ma igold’ (Ranunculus
ica ia). These a e he wo mos p oduc i e ypes o compound plan name
o ma ion. Though mo e a ely he lis s o plan names compiled by Ils e s
also ea u e compounds wi h a nume al as he i s pa , o example
sep iņs a ī e ‘se en ays’ (T ien alis eu opaea), ienlapa ‘one lea ’ (Pa nas-
sia palus is). The names o med as compounds can be di ided in o wo
componen and h ee componen compound names.
100 Linda Ku miņa | Me hodso plan name o ma ion
| usedin hewo ksbyJānisIls e s
The wo componen compounds can be u he di ided in o wo sub-
g oups:
° compounds wi h hei i s pa being a noun in geni i e case
wi hou he ending, and mos o he compound names in he ma e-
ial compiled by Ils e s belong o his ype, o example dzelzzāle
‘i on g ass’ (Echium ulga e), kaķas e ‘ca ’s ail’ (Ama an us), lāčau-
zas ‘bea ’s oa s’ (B omus secalinus), pu eglī e ‘bog’s i ’ (Pedicula-
is), ā ndeguns‘c ow’s nose’ (Delphinium consolida), elnābols
‘de il’s apple’ (Da u a s amonium);
° compa a i ely equen ly he lis s by Ils e s also con ain compounds
he i s pa o which a e nouns in geni i e case wi h he ending,
o example ceļaāboliņš ‘ oad’s clo e ’ (Melilo us ou ne ), dzipa u-
ka kls ‘wo s ed sallow’ (Salise acu i olia), meduspuķe ‘honey lowe ’
(Galium e um), meža ozī e ‘wood’s ose’ (Ge anium), mi oņupuķe
‘co pse’s lowe ’ (Lina ia ulga is), a žukājas‘ oglegs’, ā nukājas
‘c ow legs’ (Coma um palus e).
In compa ison o mode n sou ces o e ms, speci ically – Bo āniskā
ā dnīca by Galenieks and he dic iona y by Ēdelmane and Ozola La iešu
alodasaugunosaukumi, i was obse ed ha such compounds ha e ei he
los he ending o he i s componen o become wo d-g oup names:
la . Alchemilla ulga is – la. k oķulapas
(Ils e s I, 1884: 65)
→ k oķulapas
(LVAN 2003: 312)
la . An enna iadioica – la. kaķupēdiņas
(Ils e s I, 1884: 66)
→ kaķpēdiņas
(BV 1950: 29)
la . Be be is ulga is – la. aluspuķe
(Ils e s I, 1884: 67)
→ aluspuķe
(LVAN 2003: 41)
la . Con alla iamajalis – la. zīdalapas
(Ils e s I, 1884: 67;
Ils e s II, 70)
→ zīdlapas
(LVAN 2003: 159)
la . Epilobium – la. kazu ozes
(Ils e s I, 1884: 70)
→ kaz ozes
(LVAN 2003: 148)
la . Men hac ispa – la. k ūzumē a
(Ils e s I, 1884: 74)
→ k ūzmē a
(LVAN 2003: 219)
la . O chis – la. dzegužupuķes
(Ils e s I, 1884: 74)
→ dzegužpuķes
(BV 1950: 19)
101Te minologija | 2012 | 19
The h ee componen compounds a e a e; in he collec ion o plan
names by Ils e s only wo such plan names we e ound: ceļmallapas(Plan-
ago) andcau du uzāles(Da u a s amonium).
3. FORMATION OF WORD-GROUP NAMES
Ano he p oduc i e me hod o plan name o ma ion is c ea ion o
wo d-g oups. Mos equen ly such g oups consis o wo o h ee com-
ponen s. Also ou componen wo d g oups exis . One such example is
p o ided by Ēdelmane – dižābal āūdenslēpe (‘g and whi e wa e spa e -
dock’) (Ēdelmane 1978: 101), bu such examples a e no nume ous. On
he lis s o plan names compiled by Ils e s he e a e none.
The wo d-g oup plan names documen ed in he lis s o La iešubo āniski
nosaukumi may be di ided in o wo-componen and h ee-componen
names.
Acco ding o Ēdelmane among plan names he mos p oduc i e ype
o wo componen wo d-g oup names is he one con aining a noun in he
geni i e case as he subo dina e membe (Ēdelmane 1978: 100). Also he
ma e ial o plan names compiled by Ils e s ea u es a signi ican numbe
o such plan names. The ollowing models o wo d-g oup names ha e
been obse ed:
° a noun in singula / plu al geni i e case + independen componen :
dzeguzessie a as ‘cuckoo’s pu ees’ (Pinguicula ulga is), mīles ības
k ūms ‘lo e bush’ (My ica gale), zaķuskābenes ‘ha e’s so els’ (Osea-
lis ace osella);
° an adjec i e wi h he de ini i e ending in singula / plu al + inde-
penden componen : dzel enāskumeles ‘ he yellow camomille’ (An -
hemis ic o ia), mīks āsnā es ‘ he so ne les’ (Lamium), pelēkais
zi nis ‘ he g ey pea’ (Pisum a ense);
° an adjec i e wi h he inde ini e ending + independen componen :
ska ainasauzas ‘panicled oa s’ (A ena sa i a);
° passi e oice p esen ense declinable pa iciple + independen
componen : g emojamazāle ‘ umina ing g ass’ (Menyan hes i olia-
a), emjamazāle ‘ omi ing g ass’(Mo chella).
Th ee componen wo d-g oups a e a e . The ollowing models o h ee
componen wo d-g oup names we e obse ed:
° an adjec i e wi h he de ini e ending in singula + noun in singula
geni i e case + independen componen : bal āJāņazāle ‘ he whi e
102 Linda Ku miņa | Me hodso plan name o ma ion
| usedin hewo ksbyJānisIls e s
Jānis’ g ass’ (Galium mollugo), dzel enāJāņazāle ‘ he yellow Jānis’
g ass’ (Galium e um);
° wo nouns in geni i e case + independen componen : Poļuķēniņa
puķe ‘Polish king’s lowe ’ (Campanula glome a a);
° an adjec i e wi h he inde ini e ending + a noun in singula geni-
i e case + independen componen : eca ī abā zdiņa ‘old man’s
bea d’ (Thymus se pyllum);
° a nume al + a noun in plu al geni i e case + independen compo-
nen : de iņu ī uspēks ‘s eng h o nine men’ (Ve odscum hapsus),
sep iņu ī uspēks ‘s eng h o se en men’ (Phy euma spica um).
4. FORMATION OF HYPHENATED NAMES
In compa a i ely nume ous cases Ils e s uses in he lis s o La iešu
bo āniskinosaukumi names he componen s o which a e uni ed by a
hyphen, namely – he so-called hyphena ed names. Valen īna Skujiņa in
he book La iešu e minoloģijasizs ādesp incipi (Thep incipleso La i-
an e minologyde elopmen ) poin s ou ha “17.–19. gs. la iešu aks u
a o os de ise, esp., sa ienojuma zīme (=), lie o a, lai pa ādī u ā du ai
ā da daļu ciešo jēdzienisko sais ījumu”4 (Skujiņa 2002: 115–116), o
example, in G. Mancelius’ dic iona y Le us (Rīga, 1638) he ollowing
hyphena ed plan names ha e been included: Bisscha=k ehssliņi,
ceļļa=lappa,Lahc=auzchi, all o which a e nowadays eplaced by he
co esponding compounds, as well as Musscha es=zeedi,Zi dzenes=sacknis,
which a e now designa ed by a wo d-g oup. Acco ding o he conclu-
sions eached by Skujiņa in he e minology esea ch, hyphena ed g oups
in he mode n La ian language e minology a e li le used in com-
pa ison o de elopmen o he La ian e minology o e p e ious cen-
u ies. In mos cases o plan names lis ed by Ils e s in he o m o
hyphena ed names, o example buku- ī ols (Salix iminalis), lauka-
naglene(Dian hus a ena ius),laumas-slo a (Aspa agus o icinalis), slo iņu-
ciesa (Calamag os is epigeios), zaķa-s aipekņi (Lycopodium anno inum)
he mode n sou ces a oids he use o he hyphen and ei he use com-
pounds o wo d-g oups.
4 T ansla ion: “in documen sou ces o he 17–19 h cen u y he hyphen, esp. he connec ion symbol (=)
was used in o de o show he igh no ional ela ion o wo ds o wo d pa s”.