Monosyllabic abbreviated forms of first names used in eastern Podlasie in the 16th and 17th centuries

Abstract

Abbreviated forms of Orthodox Church first names used in the eastern part of the Podlasie region in the 16th and 17th centuries have been mainly attested in 16th- and 17th-century source documents. The 18th century brought a tendency towards unification of official written versions of local personal names, with abbreviated names that had been commonly encountered in official records until recently gradually giving way to full forms. Abbreviated forms of Orthodox first names, and especially of monosyllabic ones, have generally come out of common use in Podlasie. They have not disappeared completely yet, as they are preserved in the family names of inhabitants of eastern Podlasie.