Dithematic name

A dithematic name is a single-word given name consisting of two lexemes or stems, to be distinguished from compound names, which consist of several separate words. They are commonly dated from pre-Christian times among Indo-Europeans,^[1][2][3] in particular, Lithuanians,^[4][5][6] Germanic, and Slavic peoples.^[7][8][9]

Single-lexeme names or monothematic names are names based on a single lexeme/stem.

Polish linguist Zofia Kaleta asserts that many Old Germanic and Old Slavic dithematic given names reflected wishes for newborns.^[7]

Since dithematic names are often long, they became truncated, first as diminutives, which had later become regular given names of their own.^[10] Czech examples: Rostislav – Rost; Svatopluk – Pluk; Radomír – Radim; Sbyslav – Sbych; Sdeslav – Sdeš, Sdenĕk (Zdeněk); Dobromil – Došek; Přemysl – Přek; Budihost – Buň.^[11]

See also

• Glossary of pre-Christian Lithuanian names
• Germanic dithematic name
• Slavic dithematic name