Elmélet és módszer a történeti helynévkutatásban, különös tekintettel a településnevek változásaira

VALÉRIA TÓTH, Theory and method in historical settlement name research with especial regard to the changes of settlement names // Historical place name studies have at all times contributed considerably to name historical research and added valuable details to possible responses given to certain questions concerning (mostly local and social) history. Name research will be able to fulfil this important role effectively in the future if it treats place names as linguistic signs and draws its conclusions on linguistic grounds. Thus, the renewal of the historical place name typology by taking linguistic claims into consideration equally serves the interests of historical name research and those of related branches of knowledge. In this respect, updated historical place name typology has to lay special emphasis on judging chronological and spatial relations of place name types by using more elaborate methods than those adopted in the past; furthermore, primary importance should also be given to the objective survey of name sociological factors (focusing mainly on the role of name givers and name users). These three dimensions of name giving and name use (i.e. the triad of space, time and humans) should not be mistakenly disregarded in contemporary historical name research.