Homo homini lupus, sed quoque animal aluid - Životinjsko nazivlje kao motiv postanka prezimena
Homo homini lupus, sed quoque animal aluid - animal names as motive for surnames genesis

Summary/Abstract: The need for hunting and subordinating have led human beings to persistently observe animals, to study their anatomy and behavior. Over time, animals have become the motif of human creation in art, painting or stone carving, and especially in literary creation: in legends and fables in which the focus is on the friendship and intimate conversations of humans with animals. All the above mentioned has led to a relationship of admiration through which humans shape emblems or totems. However, the highest level of intimacy is reflected in the fact that humans have began to identify themselves through animals, i.e., their characteristics. Surnames motivated by animal terminology are mostly of hypocoristic origin, euphemisms of strong affective charge (a kind of zoo-affectives) or apotropaic surnames. In this connection, motivation is realized mainly indirectly, through metaphorical relationships, while in metaphorical mappings there are domestic and wild animals, and most often ornithonyms - names for birds that humans admire, fear or benefit from. Other fertile domain is bloodthirsty beasts such as wolf, lion or tiger.

• Details
• Contents