German exonyms viewed in the microtoponymy of the Romanian

SWABIAN MICROTOPONYMY IN THE
RURAL SETTLEMENTS
FROM THE BANAT PLAIN
Dr. Remus CRETAN
West University of Timisoara
Department of Geography
[email protected]
Basic Facts:
zThe
Banat Plain is placed in the south-west part of
Romania, in the Timiş county.
zDuring Habsburg administration this plain became a
multicultural area, with Romanians, Germans,
Hungarians, Serbs, Bulgarians etc.
zThere were at least 54 settlements in which Germans
had important communities which left a lot of
microtoponyms during the last three centuries.
zAfter the German emigration, mainly in 1990-1992,
the German microtoponymy remained as exonyms.
z The
position of the Banat Plain in Romania
Ethnic
structure of
Banat in 1900
Ethnic
structure of
Romanian
Banat in
2002
Microtoponyms in Deta and Denta in 1778
Microtopomyms in
Deta and Denta in 2005
Microtoponyms in Liebling in 1777
Microtoponyms in Liebling in 2002
LIST OF EXONYMS:
METHODOLOGY.A comparison between 1921
(N. Iliesiu report) and 2005 (cadastral maps)
z Agricultural names
z Translated exonyms
z Topographical names
z Names of Valleys
z Names of small hills
z Names of old streets
Conclusions
1.The exonyms from the Banat Plain have mainly a German origin;
2.They could be divided on different kinds of agricultural activities
and topographic characteristics;
3.Most exonyms have been preserved, even if they were wrong
transliterated or translated into the Romanian language.