PROPER NAMES OF WOMEN IN POLISH AND UKRAINIAN PAREMIAS

Abstract

The article presents a comparative analysis of Polish and Ukrainian paremias containing female personal names. The author examines the polyfunctionality of female anthroponyms as components of proverbs and sayings, highlighting their nominative, symbolic, and evaluative functions, as well as their role in articulating cultural stereotypes and moral judgements. Within the paremiological corpora of both languages, personal names are employed to typify female character traits, among which negative attributes significantly outweigh positive ones. The highest frequency is observed in expressions where female anthroponyms denote characteristics associated with intellectual deficiency, domestic ineptitude, and levity or perceived promiscuity. In the Ukrainian material, these features are manifested somewhat more intensively (21%, 17%, and 12%, respectively) than in the Polish equivalent (17%, 12%, and 10%). The study reveals a wide representation of diminutive and pejorative forms, which fulfil specific stylistic and expressive functions. Two distinct types of contrastive paremias are identified: gender-heterogeneous expressions, which highlight interactions between the sexes, and gender-homogeneous ones, in which different female archetypes are compared. Furthermore, both languages contain proverbs in which female names function in tandem with male names, reflecting both harmonious and conflictual inter-gender dynamics. The Ukrainian data records an extended spectrum of female nominations, including patronymics and nicknames derived from male names, reflecting a patriarchal model of defining female identity through the husband or father. Conversely, the Polish material demonstrates the use of female surnames as symbolic markers of character, behaviour, or social role. Such nominations facilitate generalisation and typification, transforming a specific anthroponym into a bearer of a stereotypical attribute. The comparison of Polish and Ukrainian paremiology identifies both universal tendencies – specifically the typification of female traits through onomastic components – and distinct differences that mirror the unique historical and cultural trajectories of each tradition.