The Multicultural Character of Anthroponymy in Kristina Sabaliauskaitė ’S Novel <i>Silva Rerum</i>

Abstract The goal of this study is to present the anthroponomasticon of the Silva rerum novel cycle by the Lithuanian writer Kristina Sabaliauskaitė. The novel is divided into four parts depicting the dramatic story of one generation of the Norvaiša noble family, residing in 17th and 18th-century Lithuania. The source material consists of personal names identifying the characters in the novel, excerpted from the Polish translation of the book. The characters presented in Silva rerum have a highly varied nature. Two distinct categories of protagonists can be identified within the text: fictional characters that are plausible within the context of the era depicted, such as the majority of the Norvaiša family, and real characters are based on historical figures, including representatives of the Polish magnate family of Radziwiłł. The personal names served to illustrate the linguistic and cultural diversity of the community living in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania 17th–18th centuries. These anthroponyms are distinguished by both structural and genetic heterogeneity. The personal names in question primarily demonstrate links with Lithuanian and Polish languages, less frequently with the Ruthenian or Jewish languages, and incidentally with Karaim, German or Tartar.