Problematic (and supposedly problematic) interpretations of Slavic place names in East Tyrol: etyma with the suffix -ica

Abstract

This article discusses a number of place names of Slavic origin in East Tyrol containing the suffix -ica. Many of the previous etyma for these names have been proposed without any morphological analysis, which gives them the appearance of being ad hoc reconstructions. By summarizing the different functions of the suffix -ica, the author seeks to validate the etymologies in question and to provide alternative explanations where necessary. It turns out that in the Slavic substrate in Eastern Tyrol, the suffix -ica could form diminutives from o-stem nouns. Otherwise, this is an exclusive feature of a-stem nouns.