Netzwerk Interferenz-Onomastik - Network for Intercultural Onomastics

The Society Interferenzonomastik and its aims

Interest in contact names originates from the collaboration of two researchers in Trier, Altay Coskun und Jürgen Zeidler. While investigating the life of the Gallic poet Ausonius, Altay Coskun came across an interesting phenomenon: many formally Latin names of the members of Ausonius' Family clearly had a Celtic 'tinge' about them. Jürgen Zeidler, a specialist in Celtic languages and comparative linguistics, took an insight into the structure of the names in question and confirmed that they might indeed be Celtic, only adapted to Latin morphology or translated into Latin. A number of questions arose, the primary question perhaps being, which factors influenced the choice of a child's name.

The interest in proper names has been growing in recent decades (see bibliography below). Within the context of notorious 'globalization' on the one hand and reinforcement of nationalistic feelings on the other, the study of proper names as a feature of personal identity has gained importance. Cancellation of a ban to give Kurdish names to newly-born Kurds in Turkey may serve as the most recent example of an attitude to names on a political level. In order to understand the processes that take place in modern society, historical experience cannot be disregarded. An interdisciplinary project in the field of intercultural anthroponomastics might shed light on many universal mechanisms of social behaviour.

Bibliography

• Kremer, D. (etc.) Dictionnaire historique de l'anthroponymie romane (PatRom). Présentation d'un projet, Tübingen 1997 (Patronymica Romanica 9).
• Akten des 18. Internationalen Kongresses für Namenforschung (Trier, 12.-17. April 1993), édités par D. Kremer, Tübingen:
  • Vol. I: Chronik, Namenetymologie und Namengeschichte, Forschungsprojekte, en coopération avec M.G. Arcamone, 2002;
  • Vol. II: Namensysteme im interkulturellen Vergleich, en coopération avec R. Srámek, 2000;
  • Vol. III : Namensoziologie, en coopération avec F. Debus, 1999;
  • Vol. IV: Personennamen und Ortsnamen, en coopération avec Th. Andersson, 1999;
  • Vol. V: Onomastik und Lexikographie, Deonomastik, en coopération avec J.P. Chambon et W. Schweickard, 2002;
  • Vol. VI: Namenforschung und Geschichtswissenschaften, Literarische Onomastik, Namenrecht, Anhang, en coopération avec M. Bourin, W.F. Nicolaisen et W. Seibicke, 2002 (= Patronymica Romanica 14-19).
• Genése médiévale de l'anthroponymie moderne (= GMAM).
  • Vol. I : Études d'anthroponymie médiévale Ie et IIe rencontres, Azay-le-Ferron 1986 et 1987, ed. Monique Bourin, 1990;
  • Vol. II : Persistances du nom unique, 1, Le cas de la Bretagne. L'anthroponymie des clercs, 2, Désignation et anthroponymie des femmes. Méthodes statistiques pour l'anthroponymie, ed. Monique Bourin et Pascal Chareille, 1992;
  • Vol. III : Enquêtes généalogiques et données prosopographiques, ed. Monique Bourin et Pascal Chareille, 1995;
  • Vol. IV : Discours sur le nom : normes, usages, imaginaire (VIe-XVIe siècles), ed. Patrice Beck, 1997;
  • Vol.V : Intégration et exclusion sociale : lectures anthroponymiques, 1, Serfs et dépendants au Moyen Âge (VIIIe ­ XIIe siècle), 2, Serfs et dépendants au Moyen Âge (Le « nouveau servage »), ed. Monique Bourin et Pascal Chareille, 2002.
• Geuenich, D., Haubrichs, W., Jarnut, J. (ed.): ’Nomen et gens'. Zur historischen Aussagekraft frühmittelalterlicher Personennamen, (Ergänzungsbände zum Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde 16), Berlin - New-York, 1997.

Aims of the Society

As already mentioned, names as an expression of their bearers' identity will stand in the centre of the investigation. At the moment two main disciplinary focuses have manifested themselves: ancient/medieval history and linguistics. Whereas historians will concentrate on political, social and psychological aspects of intercultural naming practices, linguists will provide them with material and consultations on etymology and structure of names. The profit for particular philologies, e.g. of Ancient Greek, Celtic, or Romance Languages, cannot be underestimated. At the same time, scholars of both fields will try to consolidate the image of anthoponomastics as a separate science with its own methods and terminology. A third focus on social history can also be envisaged.

Immediate aims of the society's practical work will be:

• To define a geographical and chronological frame for the intended intercultural onomastic research (at present Europe/ Mediterranean, antiquity/Middle Ages).
• To develop a grid for the classification and terminology of Interferenznamen to provide a common base of research.
• To create a web-based platform as the basis for a Netzwerk Interferenzonomastik.
• To compile extense bibliography on contact names as well as a report on the history of research in the field.
• To establish contacts with colleagues interested in the problems of contact names.

Altay Coskun (Trier)
Emilio Crespo (Wolfson, Oxford/ Autonoma, Madrid)
Anna Morpurgo Davies (Somerville, Oxford)
Ina Hartmann Döttinger (St. Hugh´s, Oxford)
Richard Hitchman (New College, Oxford)
Katharine Keats-Rohan (Linacre, Oxford)
Lidia Kouznetsova (Trier)
Elaine Matthews (LGPN, Oxford)
Jürgen Zeidler (Trier)

Scholars working in this or related fields are very welcome to share their experience and remarks on proper names in an intercultural environment and to join NIO. Please contact Jürgen Zeidler (zeidler@uni-trier.de) or Altay Coskun (altay.coskun@uni-trier.de).