The Radziwiłłs and Their Horses: Hipponyms in 17th- and 18th-Century Inventories of the Magnate Family’s Herds

Abstract

The article examines the hipponyms (proper names for horses) recorded in the inventories of the Radziwiłł family’s herds in the 17^th and 18^th centuries, predominantly located in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. A total of 434 lexical units were identified, consisting of 106 female and 328 male forms. Analysis of these names reveals that they were not arbitrary but part of a deliberate naming system. The names referred to various cha-racteristics of the animals, including their appearance, behaviour, and possibly their places of origin. Some names were associated with “femininity” and beauty in the case of mares, while those for male horses often referred to fighting, courage, and offices. Greek and Roman mythology served as a significant source of inspiration for many hipponyms, while others were derived from the names of animal species. Many were also connected to the widely understood Muslim world. The languages most frequently represented among the names were Polish, Turkish, and Italian. The authors of the sources likely wrote only in Polish and were not well-educated, which may explain the distorted forms encountered.