Name Variation in Old Russian: Main Cases and Possible Interpretations

Abstract

The study considers several cases of the variation of Christian and original Slavic names of persons in Medieval Rus. Based on chronicles, birch bark letters, and business documents, the article traces the changes in the form of one and the same name, investigates the context, and offers possible explanations for each distribution of name forms. First, the article addresses hypocoristic forms of Christian names (Mikhalko, Yanka), which in the period under study most often did not carry a diminutive or pejorative meaning but could perform a neutralizing function in the interaction between original Slavic and foreign name systems: in an earlier Rostov chronicle Michael of Chernigov appears under the form Mikhalko, while in later sources he is consistently mentioned under the form Mikhail. Second, the variations between canonical and popular forms of the same Christian name (Aleksey/Oleksey, Stefan/Stepan) are analyzed in the context of narrative changes. We found that in contexts related to their death and/or participation in the construction of a church, many posadniks [city m ayors] of Novgorod are mentioned by the canonical form of their name, while in the description of other events — consistently by the popular form). Finally, special attention in the article is devoted to the influence of the graphic systems of Old Russian sources on the alternation of the forms of Christian names, as well as to the limits of variation of native Slavic names in the context of personal correspondence in birch bark letters as compared with the chronicles.

DOI: 10.31168/2305-6754.2023.2.02