Old and new in microtoponymy

Abstract

The main purpose of this article is the attempt of presenting chronological old-new opposition of the microtoponyms (geographical names). The inquiring sight, collected from 2011 to 2018 during informal utterances of the oldest and the middle generation of inhabitants of the area of Wręczyca Wielka, contains the names of different physiographic objects’, e. g. fields, meadows, forests, paths. The analysis contains also justifications of the microtoponyms. The linguistic material was collected in the area near Kłobuck in the north of Silesian Province. The language of inhabitants of this region belongs to Malopolska dialect. The author inquires the problem on the strength of analysis the groups of microtoponyms: 1) names with old and new lexems, 2) terms of physiographic objects’ connected with the former and contemporary village image, 3) geographical names with illegible semantic motivation, 4) microtoponyms with -isko and -owizna suffixes. On the strength of analysis, the author claims that microtoponyms include two aspects of old and new. To the oldest inhabitants old is connected with the former image of community and it is conceived in a positive way. New changes the structure of village and it is not completely accepted by the oldest generation but it is accepted by the youngest inhabitants.