Ką pasakoja vietovardžiai

ENNames of villages, towns and cities are of a different origin. Some of the names come from the names of lakes and rivers (Punskas, Seinai, and Galdapė) and some of them come from the specific geographical and physical features of the territory (Raistiniai, Stirlaukiai). A number of the villages originated their names from the names of their founders or owners (Agurkiai, Burokai, and Radžiūčiai). There are also morphology units of a mixed type (Adomavizna, Šlynakiemis). A separate group of toponames are those, which were created on the basis of the relations between a man and nature. The author of the article has collected considerable amount of the place names in the territory of Yotvingia and Prussia (going beyond the territory of Poland), starting from the village Adamowizna (the Šipliškės district, Poland) to the village Žvikeliai (the Punskas district, Poland). The author tries to explain the etymology of all the names, enriching his discussions with the presentation of the historical aspects of the territory.