“Liankialis” and “Litwiak”. An outline of anthroponymy based on tombstone inscription in Southern Vilnius Region and Lublin Province

Abstract

This article shows an outline of anthroponymy which I excerpted from the tombstone inscription from two parish cemeteries approximately 700 km apart from one another. The first one is located next to Porudomin (lit. Parudaminys), situated 20 km south of Vilnius in Lithuan ia (currently Vilnius Region). The second one – in the Southern part of Lublin Province in Biłgoraj County next to Józefow. The ethnonyms and extracted suffix served as a starting base which showed the popularity of the names ending with -icz, -owicz, -ewicz, usually with the roots derived from the given names inVilnius Region, however in Lublin Province one can distinguish the following primal forms: appellatives, occupational and secondary patronymics, with the suffix -k. Names ending with -icz, -owicz, -ewicz – these forms were earlier recognized as prestigious forms, belonging to higher social spheres, which have spread among peasants in the south of Vilnius Region, taking patronymic character which are reflected in the names with the suffix -k in the South of Lublin Province. Also there is an evidence of formation of the ethnonyms: Liankialis in Vilnius Region and Litwiak in Lublin Province.