Nomination and Motivation of the Names of Aquatic Animals in the Northern Samogitian Subdialect

Abstract

This article presents a study of the Northern Samogitian lexical thematic group of aquatic animals names. The research aims to identify the lexemes used to name water animals in this regional dialect and to study the nomination and motivation features of these names. The research employs a methodological approach that integrates complex linguistic analysis. The empirical material is drawn from the Lietuvių kalbos žodynas (LKŽe) and dictionaries of the North Samogitian dialect. A thorough analysis of these lexicographical sources has allowed for the determination of the names’ coverage. The study identifies the ratio between motivated and unmotivated lexemes, dominant types and tools of nomination, key features of motivation, and the variety of motivation models.