ON THE VARIANTS (OF FORM) OF TOPONYMS FOCUSING ON HYDRONYMS IN THE LOWER IPOLY VALLEY

Abstract

In my paper I deal with the Hungarian–Slovak and the Hungarian–Hungarian variants of toponyms focusing on hydronyms and on denominations connected with water in dolné Poiplie. I study those Hungarian–Slovak pairs wherein a simple phonological borrowing appears (e.g.: Ipoly/Ipeľ) or those wherein a partial phonological alteration (e.g.: Helemba ~ Chľaba) occurs. I also study those pairs in which the Slovak language borrows a denomination in a way that the pronunciation stays similar to the Hungarian one but the meaning of the name is different (e.g.: Szakállas ~ Sokolce). In the case of Hungarian–Hungarian denominations I concentrate on those pairs in which the difference in form is minimal, and next to them those ones where one of the elements is likely to have emerged by misunderstanding, the meaning of the words is reanalyzed resembling a more familiar morpheme in folk etymology (e.g.: Ipolyszékek – Ipolyszélek).