Folk etymology in reference to the knowledge of motivation of geographical names (microtoponyms from Wręczyca Wielka community next to Klobuck)

This article is devoted to the usefulness of the folk etymology to the determination of semantic motivation of geographical names (microtoponyms). The analysis of an interpretation of origin and meaning of physiographic objects’ names lets the author show characteristic features of folk way of perception of the reality which is unique to members of the linguistic-cultural rural communities. The inquiring material contains 835 microtoponyms with their etymology. The knowledge of these names and their interpretation were confirmed by at least few natives. The linguistic material was collected during the geographical researches from 2011 to 2014 in the area near Wręczyca Wielka next to Klobuck (Silesian Province). The first part of this article is devoted to the theory and the issues connected with the folk etymology. The second part consists the analysis of the names motivated by natural environment, history and culture of the region, possessive relations and other objects location. On the strength of numerous examples the author tries to accentuate the importance of the folk interpretation during the determination of the geographical names’ semantic motivation. These names let the author observe the way of observation and analysis of the rural reality unique to the ‘simple man.’