Der Personenname Častolov und tschechischer Einfluss auf das Sorbische

Abstract

The Personal Name Častolov and Czech Influence on Sorbian

In Upper Lusatian sources from the Middle Ages there repeatedly appears a personal name, which G. Schlimpert reconstructs as Old Sorbian *Častoslav. An exact analysis of historical documents as well as the comparison with other Slavonic languages shows that this is not an Old Sorbian name, but rather an Old Czech name. It is likewise not a question of an old Slavonic full name, but of a more recent nickname to which the initial form *Častolov is be applied, which refers to an avid, successful hunter. This name was used by many Czech noblemen of the House of Hronovice, who had estates in Upper Lusatia and held important administrative offices by appointment of the Bohemian king.