Ein neuer Blick auf die ältesten Orts- und Gewässernamen in (Mittel-)Europa

Abstract

The article aims to give an overview over the author’s work on the oldest layers of toponyms and hydronyms in Central Europe (including a short detour to Italy). In the course of almost one decade some three dozen names were treated. More often than not, the scientific standards of modern Indo-European linguistics were applied for the first time in etymologizing these names. In some cases arguments for new etymologies could be brought forward, in many cases more precise etymologies could be offered – but in some cases it also had to be stated that the formerly given ‘one and only’ etymological solution had to be discarded of in favour of an array of (sometimes four, five or even more) viable solutions. But in spite of such (to some readers maybe discouraging) results, it should become clear that only this modern way of Indo-European linguistics will lead to results so reliable that further research can be based on them. In the second part of the paper several tables will give a compact overview comparing old solutions and new findings concerning a number of river-names.