This volume offers a discourse-oriented account of proper names, highlighting their socially and culturally significant semantic functions. It challenges the traditional view of names as meaningless linguistic signs. The authors argue that while proper names fulfil the basic functions of naming and distinguishing individuals, they can also carry meaning and perform important discursive functions. Drawing on examples from Polish political, religious, cultural, and social discourse, the volume shows that onomastics can broaden its scope to include discourse- and culture-related issues. In doing so, it proposes an interdisciplinary research perspective and demonstrates the role of naming practices in shaping social and cultural meanings.



Mariusz Rutkowski is Full Professor of Linguistics at University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Poland, and expert in the theory and functioning of proper names. He is a member of the Polish Language Council.Katarzyna Skowronek is Full Professor of Linguistics and Cultural Studies at AGH University of Kraków, Poland. Her research focuses on discourse analysis, sociolinguistics, and onomastics. She is editor-in-chief of the journal Socjolingwistyka and head of the project Online Dictionary of Surnames in Poland.