Train Names as an Object of Onomastic Research: Place in the Onomastic Field and Ways of Forming

Abstract

The names of trains have not so far attracted the attention of scientists, remaining on the periphery of science and being included as research material only in fragments. The purpose of our work is to describe train names as an object of onomastics study (to determine the features of the organization of the onomastic field of train names and to reveal the main ways of their formation). The article presents an analysis of 91 train names extracted using a continuous sampling method from Russian Railways websites and tourist reference sites. Train names have their own specifics, which are determined by the organization of the onomastic space and the method of education. As the results of the study have shown, in the core of the onomastic field of train names there are toponyms that determine the destination or departure of the train. One third of these names reflect the geographical, national, cultural or historical component of a particular region, acting as an "identification mark" of the place visited by passengers. In addition, the names  indicate the pace of movement and class of service of the train (20% of the names) and help reflect a positive perception of the phenomena of the surrounding world. Most often, train names are formed by transonymization and semantic onymization, which distinguishes them from the names of airplanes, ships, and other types of place names.