Algunas reflexiones sobre la influencia socio-cultural en la motivación de los nombres de pila (análisis contrastivo de las lenguas eslavas y el español)

Abstract

This short contribution is devoted to the process of semantic demotivation of lin-guistic signs used in the designation and identification of people, and their continuous esta-blishment; we base our study on F. de Saussure’s theory about the arbitrariness of the linguistic sign. In our investigation the postulates of this theory are applied to demonstrate the semantic (and the following grammatical) particularities of the proper noun, which come about, on the one hand, due to the specificity of their identification function, and on the other, due to the continuous process of semantic demotivation, That leads their arbitrariness (similar to apellat-ive nouns). Peculiar forms of Spanish first names (abstract and concrete nouns, adjectives) that are explained by religious traditions in Spain and adoration of The Virgin Mary stand out. This phenomenon serves as intermediary step between the original motivation basis and final arbi-trary form of woman first names (Concepción, Lágrimas, Socorro, etc.). The names motivated by precious stones and flowers carry strong symbolic and expressive charge.