Josef Beneš
Encyclopedia
Josef Beneš was a Czech linguist
, specialising in anthroponymy
and onomastics
.
Beneš studied Bohemistics and Germanistics
at the Charles University in Prague
, ending in 1930. Later, he worked on several places as a teacher in schools providing secondary education. After World War II
he briefly worked at the Ministry of Education, then returned to the teaching. From the beginning of 1960s he lectured at pedagogic institutes in Liberec
and Ústí nad Labem
.
Since 1933 he published articles about Czech surname
s in specialised journals (as Naše řeč or Zpravodaj místopisné komise ČSAV
, ZMK). In 1962 he published book "About Czech Surnames". His daughter, Dobrava Moldanová, collected many of his articles into book "Our Surnames" (1983). Posthumously "German Surnames of Czechs" was published in 1998, with Marie Nováková as an editor.
Beneš belongs, together with Vladimír Šmilauer, Jan Svoboda and Antonín Profous, among founders of Czech anthroponymy
and onomastics
.
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
, specialising in anthroponymy
Anthroponymy
Anthroponomastics , a branch of onomastics, is the study of anthroponyms Anthroponomastics (or anthroponymy), a branch of onomastics, is the study of anthroponyms Anthroponomastics (or anthroponymy), a branch of onomastics, is the study of anthroponyms (Anthroponomastics (or anthroponymy), a branch...
and onomastics
Onomastics
Onomastics or onomatology is the study of proper names of all kinds and the origins of names. The words are from the Greek: "ὀνομαστικός" , "of or belonging to naming" and "ὀνοματολογία" , from "ὄνομα" "name". Toponymy or toponomastics, the study of place names, is one of the principal branches of...
.
Beneš studied Bohemistics and Germanistics
German studies
German studies is the field of humanities that researches, documents, and disseminates German language and literature in both its historic and present forms. Academic departments of German studies often include classes on German culture, German history, and German politics in addition to the...
at the Charles University in Prague
Charles University in Prague
Charles University in Prague is the oldest and largest university in the Czech Republic. Founded in 1348, it was the first university in Central Europe and is also considered the earliest German university...
, ending in 1930. Later, he worked on several places as a teacher in schools providing secondary education. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he briefly worked at the Ministry of Education, then returned to the teaching. From the beginning of 1960s he lectured at pedagogic institutes in Liberec
Liberec
Liberec is a city in the Czech Republic. Located on the Lusatian Neisse and surrounded by the Jizera Mountains and Ještěd-Kozákov Ridge, it is the fifth-largest city in the Czech Republic....
and Ústí nad Labem
Ústí nad Labem
Ústí nad Labem is a city of the Czech Republic, in the Ústí nad Labem Region. The city is the 7th-most populous in the country.Ústí is situated in a mountainous district at the confluence of the Bílina and the Elbe Rivers, and, besides being an active river port, is an important railway junction...
.
Since 1933 he published articles about Czech surname
Czech name
Czech names are composed of a given name and a surname. Surnames used by women differ from their male counterparts.-Given names:In the Czech Republic, names are simply known as jména or, if the context requires it, křestní jména . The singular form is jméno...
s in specialised journals (as Naše řeč or Zpravodaj místopisné komise ČSAV
Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences
The Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences was established in 1953 to be the scientific center for Czechoslovakia. It was succeeded by the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic in 1992.-History:...
, ZMK). In 1962 he published book "About Czech Surnames". His daughter, Dobrava Moldanová, collected many of his articles into book "Our Surnames" (1983). Posthumously "German Surnames of Czechs" was published in 1998, with Marie Nováková as an editor.
Beneš belongs, together with Vladimír Šmilauer, Jan Svoboda and Antonín Profous, among founders of Czech anthroponymy
Anthroponymy
Anthroponomastics , a branch of onomastics, is the study of anthroponyms Anthroponomastics (or anthroponymy), a branch of onomastics, is the study of anthroponyms Anthroponomastics (or anthroponymy), a branch of onomastics, is the study of anthroponyms (Anthroponomastics (or anthroponymy), a branch...
and onomastics
Onomastics
Onomastics or onomatology is the study of proper names of all kinds and the origins of names. The words are from the Greek: "ὀνομαστικός" , "of or belonging to naming" and "ὀνοματολογία" , from "ὄνομα" "name". Toponymy or toponomastics, the study of place names, is one of the principal branches of...
.
Selected works
- "O českých příjmeních" (About Czech Surnames), Prague, 1962 and 1970
- "Naše příjmení" (Our Surnames"), edited by Dobrava Moldanová, 1983, Mladá fronta, Prague. Reprint in 2004, ISBN 80-86781-03-8.
- "Německá příjmení u Čechů" (German Surnames of Czechs), by University of J.E. PurkyněJan Evangelista Purkyne University in Ústí nad LabemJan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem is a public university in the Czech Republic. The institution was established on 28 September, 1991. It bears the name of famous Czech scientist Jan Evangelista Purkyně who was born in nearby Libochovice.-History:Originally, in 1954, the...
, Ústí nad Labem, 1998, ISBN 80-7044-212-3