Der Stammesname Besunzane in neuer Sicht
The Tribal Name Besunzane in a New Light

Summary/Abstract: The tribal name Besunzane has repeatedly been the subject of academic investigation, the last example being an unpublished study by Bernd Koenitz. He firstly brought into his reflections the form Phesnuzi, first registered in the Bavarian Geographer (around 850), but up to now mostly overlooked, without however giving in our view a convincing evaluation of both pieces of evidence. We have made however the following deductions: Old Sorb. *Běžunčane ʻthe people of Běžunkʼ and Old Sorb. *Běžunci ʻthe Běžunks, the people of Běžunkʼ. The same formation structure is shown by the name of the neighbouring tribe, the Dziadoszanie in Lower Silesia, around 850 Dadosesani and Thadesi, Old Pol. *D́adošane and *D́adoši ʻthe people of D́adoš, the D́adošsʼ. The name of the Milzane may have developed along the same lines, Old Sorb. *Milčane alongside *Milci ʻthe people of Milk, the Milksʼ.

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