How Romanians Say It, in the People’s Words:
Local Onomastics and Toponymy in Latin Transylvanian Documents

Abstract:

The Transylvanian area, unlike other regions, knew a rather late development of the national languages, thus leading to a late and fragmentary use of vernacular languages in written form. Only in the 16th century the use of vernacular became common. The present paper intends to analyze some aspects of the mixture between the official and administrative language, Latin, and the vernacular elements. Written communication mingled Latin with spoken words and expressions, documenting an interesting dialogue within the confines of a cultural environment which featured many languages and confessions.

Keywords:

vernacular languages, local onomastics, toponymy