Current theories of proper name and the concept of the proprial sphere of language

The aim of this paper is to draw attention to some current trends in the world, which researchers studying the theory of proper name and the concept of the proprial sphere of language deal with, and thus encourage their greater resonance in Slavic onomastic discourse. The works and concepts of Willy Van Langendonck, Richard Coates, Grant Smith, Kerstin Jonasson, Yolanda Guillermina López Franco, Klaas Willems, Ernst Hansack, Erika Windberger-Heidenkummer and Silvio Brendler are presented. The article thus follows on Blanár’s text Poznámky k onomastickým koncepciám [Notes on Onomastic Concepts] (Blanár, 2009a), in which the author gives an overview of several current onomastic theories.

Greater consideration of the findings of both the scholars mentioned in this paper and other representatives of theoretically oriented onomastics, general linguistics and philosophy of language can significantly stimulate the further development of Slavic onomastics and, at the same time, contribute to the elimination of some inappropriate approaches that are currently encountered and that are mentioned at the end of the article.