Mondonomo has published a special dictionary edition devoted to the Ukrainian given names, their transliteration and etymology. The work can be considered as the very first Reference Dictionary of Ukrainian Names. Written by leading figures in the field including translatology and onomastics, this is the definitive scholarly reference for a new generation of Ukraine-centred researchers and amateurs. This dictionary is a celebration of Ukraine’s rich cultural heritage bringing to light the country’s most important names from prehistory to the present. It chronicles the naming patterns within Ukraine at a time when the country’s people, culture, and language are facing destruction and devastation. This move comes out of solidarity with the people of Ukraine.
This is a compelling account of Ukraine’s cultural history, told through the prism of a carefully curated selection of key names arguing for a distinctly Ukrainian cultural identity. Organized thematically across nine chapters, the Reference Dictionary contains more than 6.000 Ukrainian given names with their corresponding English pairs, while accompanying information reveals the origin and significance behind the names.
You may find here the most popular Ukrainian names such as Ivan, Oleksiy, Petro, Kateryna, Fedir, which are names loaned along the Byzantine Christianity adoption in the Xth century; Volodymyr, Rostyslav, Vsevolod, Vira, Lyubov, Nadiya, which are the old Slavic pre-Christian names; as well as names, loaned from West and South Slavic languages: Vanda, Ruzhena, Vlasta, Kvitoslava, Bozhana. About 2.000 pet forms of names weave Ukraine’s dynamic and inextinguishable folk traditions through the dictionary, providing naming texture as well as a sense of the nation’s living history (Maks, Maksymko, Maksyuta, Maksyk, Makson are all diminutives stemming from Maksym). All in all, it includes over 8.000 up-to-date dictionary entries with Ukrainian script, official Romanized form and non-standard spellings; a guide to Ukrainian pronunciation; and a section on menu terms. Our system for the transliteration of Ukrainian letters fully corresponds to the rules approved by a Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on 27 January 2010. By the way, there is a fun fact that Ukrainian President is spelling his surname ZELENSKYY instead of official ZELENSKYI. It is due to the obsolete spelling based on the Mr. President's external passport, which was issued prior to 2010.
The content of the Dictionary suggests opportunities for further efforts, making it an exceptional starting point both for academics looking for innovative ideas and common people willing to learn something new about an unfamiliar culture. This reference is an invaluable tool for researchers, travellers, students, name-givers and businesspersons.