Mesterségűző "asszonyemberek" megnevezései Erdélyben a 16-19. században
Date: 2012
Subject: nők megnevezése
személyre utaló névszerkezetek
asszonynév
mesterségnév
Erdély
magyar
16-19. sz.
személyre utaló névszerkezetek
asszonynév
mesterségnév
Erdély
magyar
16-19. sz.
Abstract:
PIROSKA B. GERGELY, Names for professional women in Transylvania
from the 16th to the 19th centuries //
This paper, building upon several preliminary studies, intends to give a comprehensive
answer to the historical socio-onomastic question of how long self-employed women have been
known by their own names rather than by the traditional name forms for married women derived
from the husband’s name. The observed data were taken from the entries referring to crafts
practised by women in the 13-volume “Erdélyi magyar szótörténeti tár [Historical Dictionary of
Transylvanian Hungarian Words]”. Names of professional women (e.g. washerwoman, bakeress,
dressmaker) as well as names of women doing casual work (e.g. fortune-teller, wet-nurse,
sorceress) or serving as maids (e.g. baby-sitter, servant girl, help) were included in the
investigation. Variants of name forms are presented separately in each group: terms for
occupations appearing as substitutions for or accessories of names, name forms including the
husband’s name, and name forms incorporating the woman’s own name are equally discussed.
Conclusions: 1. Self-employed women were not predominantly known by their own names from
the 16th to the 19th centuries. 2. In all three occupational groups, women were generally known by
terms for their jobs. Profession was considered to be the most important feature of their
personalities; thus, this trait was reflected in their names as well.