“Irregular” naming as abuse (on one aspect of variance of katoikonyms)

Abstract

Formation of variant terms for inhabitants (katoikonyms) of one place is characteristic for the Russian language. Sometimes a variant, which is accepted in local or regional usage, differs from its synonym, used in non-local media. As a result, the local community refects upon “regular” and “irregular” names — in newspaper articles, on the Internet and in oral communication. “Irregular” naming is associated with “aliens”, particularly, with Moscow journalists. Such names are often perceived as abusive. Such a reaction is linked, frst of all, with their perception as disharmonious and rough-sounding. Secondly, a variant is often rejected because of its phonetic similarity or rhyme with some word; for example, inhabitants of Tambov reject the term tambovtsy, because it rhymes with ovtsy (Russian for ‘sheep' [pl.]). Thirdly, a variant is rejected because of its homonymy; for example, the term for an inhabitant of Kirov kirovеts, because of the Soviet model of tractor “Kirovets”. As a result, such “irregular” names gain an expressiveness that initially is unusual for the kataikonyms, and can be used as pejoratives or invectives in local speech.