O Rodných jménech motivovaných označením rostlin
About First Names Motivated by Designations of Flowers and Plants

Summary/Abstract: Many names motivated by designations of flowers and plants belong to a very archaic layer of anthroponyms. They were created as protecting names (demons should believe that a person with name motivated by designation of flower is a flower itself) and later they had characterization or predestination functions. Flowers had many symbolical meanings (ancient and medieval Christian) which could influence proper names as well (e. g. the name Rose meant not only „rose“ but also „beauty“ and „love“ – i. e. the symbolical meanings of rose). First names motivated by designations of flowers and plants were very popular in the 19th century, in a period of „flowers of speech“ fashion. In English many new names motivated by designations of flowers and plants (especially female) were created at that time. In our country, Czech names motivated by designations of flowers and plants (e. g. Růžena „rose“) were popular in the 1930s and 1940s, then they rapidly fell out of vogue. Some names motivated by designations of flowers and plants are not used anymore (e. g. Eglantine) but other ones are made up nowadays (e. g. Apple).

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