The problem of the etymology of the place name leipzig
https://doi.org/10.26907/2658-3321.2021.4.3.380-391
Keywords:
German language, Slavic languages, East Germany, etymology, toponymyAbstract
The article examines the problem of the etymology of the German place name Leipzig (ending in -zig) that is typically attributed to the East-German region and associated with the Old Sorbian language and with the appellative lipa. The author analysed the new versions of this place name etymology presented in several studies of German scientists of the last decade. The study has found that: 1) the etymological analysis in relation to toponymic vocabulary has great potential; 2) the hypothesis for West Slavic origination of the place name Leipzig with the root lib- is not inferior to the general accepted hypothesis with the appellative lipa; 3) there are no sufficient grounds for tracing of the place name Leipzig in the German etymon *Lībja; 4) the hypothesis of the blended German-Slavic origination with the suffix -sk- is not confirmed; 5) the origin from the adjective *libъ/*libъjь is not completely clarified. Based on the above observations, the hypotheses for the origin of the place name Leipzig in the East-German region were disputed. The form <Libzi> found in Titmar is the result of Romanization of the Slavic form.
References
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