Gordova Yu.Yu. Archeological Discoveries in the Lands of Ryazan as the Sources of Old Russian Anthroponymy

Abstract: The subject of the research is the personal names inscribed on everyday items discovered in the Ryazan land. A number of everyday items with inscriptions containing forenames on them have been excavated in the territory of the ancient Duchy of Ryazan. The names, such as Erem[a], Molodilo, Dobrilo and Bogunka, are inscribed on a fishing plummet, a spindle whorl and a large earthenware wine pot; all of the above are dating back to the 9th-10th, 12th-13th century. The antique signs help us discover composition of the names of those who are of humble origin as well as usage peculiarities of those names serving as a signature on everyday items. Despite obvious scientific value, inscriptions containing forenames found on excavated household items, toys and other everyday objects are still left out-of-sight of linguists and the aforesaid archeological discoveries have not been duly studied by onomatologists as sources of anthroponyms. In her research Gordova has used the structural and typological analysis methods. Anthroponyms are analyzed from the point of view of their regional (i.e. belonging to one region) and onomastic attribution (i.e. belonging to one onomastic class and field of anthroponyms, in particular, Old Russian names of people living in the ancient Duchy of Ryazan). The epigraphical findings confirm the fact that a forename played a defining role during the Old Russian period. Even before the Mongol conquest both native Russian and Christian names existed among the non-princely estates. The use of folk forms of forenames as inscriptions bears witness of the lack of such an anthroponymical quality as formulaicity. The presented items prove the fact that everyday objects, alongside with birchbark manuscripts and chronicles, can serve as an important source of the Old Russian anthroponyms.  

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