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Zofia ZierhofferowaPoznańNames of Olęder settlements in Wielkopolska. Origins and changesBased on the research carried out by historians, it is commonly known that the Dutch settlement in Poland began in the second half of the 16th century in the Gdańsk region and proceeded gradually along both banks of the Vistula river. In 1624, the colonization reached Saska Kępa, located in present-day Warsaw, and then kept moving southward, however, the penetration of these regions was poorer. In Wielkopolska region, the first Dutch settlement, Olędry Ujskie was founded in 1597, two subsequent ones Herbardowo and Folsztyn were established in 1601 in Ziemia Wieleńska. In the 17th century, the progress of the colonization process was still slow and its acceleration did not occur until the 18th century. Generally, the Ductch colonization considerably increased the number of villages in our region. However, the number of villages is uncertain due to the incompleteness of source materials. Besides, not all initiated settlement foundations were successful, which additionally makes their cataloguing difficult. W. Rusiński maintains that there were ca. 550[1] settlements, whereas, the recent studies of Z. Chodyła increased their numbers to 700[2] .The majority of settlement names were characterized by two segments and included names (H)olendry or Olędry. Large part of these names alluded to earlier toponyms. I will begin my discussion from these toponyms. In Wielkopolska, toponymic names occurred already in the 13th century documents, and they became more common in the 15th century. Here, I would like to make a reference to my monograph "Nazwy typu Osiek Mały, Koźminek et al. derywowane od nazw miejscowych (Name types Osiek Mały, Koźminek et al. derived from local names)" [3] . I will illustrate the process of toponymic name creation by an example from the cited work. The name of the village of Gałązki began to function as the name of two settlements, which were established either by dividing one earlier village into two separate units or by founding a new settlement in the immediate proximity of the original village. The new village adopted the name of the original one and, in order to avoid confusion, the common name Gałązki was modified by the addition of the segment Małe or Wielkie, for reasons of symmetry. Thus, segments Mały and Wielki functioned as differentiating segments of common segment Gałązki[4] . This category of toponymic names includes the names of the Olęder settlements with an identifying segment, which was a name of an earlier village, which included wastelands handed over to new settlers to be transformed into farmland. This name dependency was a result of the ownership relationships, which is demonstrated by the following examples: Hollendrv Chociszewskie... belong to the village of Chociszewo, 1789 Mkl, present day Chociszewko, pozn., gm. Skoki, Olędry Lubieckie, the village of Lubiecz, 1789, Olędry that belong to the village of Lubcza, 1789 Mkl, present-day Lubczynek, bydg., gm. Rogowo. This name type was characteristic and representative for the Olęder colonization in the 17th and 18th centuries. The following examples illustrate this process:
The above name structures were characteristic of the Olęder settlements, for which the name of the original village - the identifying segment - adopted adjectival form. The names directly alluded to analogous two-segment names Wól. These names appeared three centuries before the Olęders and were their prototypes. Here are the examples: de Wola et Orchowo (1369) 1446 KW no. 1617; Wola Rchowska 1391 Lek II no. 128, present-day Wólka Orchowska, koniń., gm. Orchowo; in Gosławska Wola 1384 KW no 1822 (n. of the village of Gosłowice), later Wola Łaszczewa 1565 ASK 13, 11 (n. of the settlement of Łaszcz), present-day Wola Łaszczowa, koniń., gm. Kazimierz Biskupi. Besides, foundation of settlements described as wola had many features that were characteristic of the Olęder colonization. The Olęders also settled in sites of abandoned and overgrown villages with a purpose of developing their land. In this case, the village name was restored, and usually segment Olędry was added. It should also be mentioned that in some villages, which were inhabited at the time, the Olęders were settled on part of the ploughland. The village of Sroczewo is one of such examples: an Olęder settlement was established on a part of the village farmland. As a result, a mixed settlement was created; later, the original residents of the village were granted the Olęder charter and joined the Olęders' community. It was often the case that the original residents were granted the Olęder privileges (or some of them) and this improved their legal and economic situation. As demonstrated by the following examples, this group of names preserved its original nounal form and segment Olędry was added optionally.
Names of Olęder settlements were also created without any reference to earlier names of villages. In this case, accessible micro-toponyms (names of physiographic forms settled by the Olęders) were used. Some of those micro-toponyms were mentioned in historical sources. This collection of name forming structures was supplemented by appellatives associated with natural environment. It is hard to draw a border between these two lexical collections, which provided material for the described names. It can never be certain whether the permanent connection between a relevant appellative and a corresponding physiographic object existed but was not included in source materials, or if it was included, researchers overlooked it. Names associated with human activities are much more infrequent. Surnames, first names, and extremely rarely, names of villages were among name founding structures. However, in this case the usage of the village names was motivated by completely different reasons than in the case of the above toponymic names. This material will be presented in the following order: 1) names related to the natural environment; 2) names related to human activities; 3) names that originated from surnames, first names, and also local names. 1) Names related to the natural environment;
Features of the natural environment, in which the Olęders founded their settlements, are noticeable in the names that were independent of the earlier toponyms. This is quite obvious, because these names were created after the Olęders encountered a place for a new settlement and before the subsequent inhabitants modified the original landscape. The names usually reflected the fact that the area was forested. This fact is illustrated by some of the cited examples and by other names that can be found in the complete material: Drzewce Olędry (: drzewce probably means "forest or thicket"), Kozielaski Olędry (: kozie laski (goat little forests) that is "small for goats"), Krzywoleśne Olędry (: crooked forest), Lasek Olędry. The names that describe forests with particular species of trees prevalent also belong to this group: Borownickie Olędry (: borownik - "coniferous forest"), Chojnickie Olędry, Dębowskie Olędry (: dębowiec - "oak forest"), Grabowiec Olędry, Jasionowe Olędry, Lipie Olędry (: linden tree), Olszewniak Olędry (: olszewniak - "alder thickets"), Sosnowiec Olędry, Tarnowiec, Troszczyńskie Olędry and others. Animals are inseparable elements of a forest. Their presence is reflected in such names as: Barłożne Olędry, Igrzna, Orłowiec, Sowiagóra Olędry, Wilcz Olędry, Zwierzyniec Olędry, which initially referred to forests. The Olęders colonized marshy and boggy areas. Name Białe Olędry is a clear example of this tendency. Marshes and bogs were often located near rivers and lakes. The names of these lakes or rivers were frequently transferred to forests, meadows, or marshes that surrounded them, and then after these areas were colonized by the Olęders, they became the names of their settlements. This tendency was reflected in the following names: Bystrek Olędry, Dziewczastruga, Gogolice Olędry, Krynica Olędry, Mechnacz Olędry, Pącheńskie Olędry (: n. of lake Pąchy from pąch - "smell, stench"), Rudna Olędry (: n. of river Rudna - from reddish coloring of the water - iron ore). The described names also contain information about a soil type or landform features, for instance: Błonie Olędry, Glinki Olędry, Góry Olędry, Łęczne Olędry, Piaski Olędry. 2) Names associated with human activities:
The presented names reflect new residents' activities of on areas that were being developed. Names Nowe Olędry and Stare Olędry convey information regarding this type of colonization. Name Mostowskie Olędry inform about public works important for the communication; Nowe Dwory Olędry and Nowy Dom reflect construction of residential buildings, while Stodólsko, construction of a farming building. In order to establish a settlement, colonists needed various materials, which had to be manufactured in industrial plants: brickyards, glassworks, or sawmills. Development of this industry is documented by names: Cegielskie Olędry, Huta Olędry, Szklana Huta Olędry, Piłka. 3) Names that originated from surnames and first names:
Name derived from a local name:
The cited examples of names could have been of double origin. Surnames or first names, which provided basis for these names, for the most part belonged to landowners, but occasionally, they might have belonged to settlers. Finding the source information that would confirm these facts is very difficult. The information we have refers to only several situations and pertains to people whose given or family names were included in settlement names to commemorate them, for example Filipowo Olędry, Herbardowo Olędry, and Wyssogotowo Olędry. Names that resulted from back-derivation, such as: Chmielewo (: Chmielewski) and Zakrzewo (: Zakrzewski) are typical in this respect. It is probably a fair assumption that other names derived from first names, such as: Józefowo, Katarzynki, Krystynka, Maryjanowo, Marienwald, and Teresowo were also created in honour of people with these names. Another example is name Folsztyn, which was created in order to commemorate a family hearth of Zofia Czarnkowsks, family name Herburt. Next, I would like to concentrate on segments (H)olendry and Olędry, which with time changed its form, meaning, and function. Olędry is the most assimilated form in relation to the original sound of Holendry. As is known, this form is derived from the ethnic name Holendrzy (the Dutch). This ethnic group arrived in Poland and initiated a new form of colonization. The initial form Holendry is an old form of the plural accusative. This grammatical form is derived from nouns that describe various groups of people (nationalities: Czechy (Czechs), Węgry (Hungarians); occupations: Szewce (Cobblers), Sokolniki (Falconers); inhabitants of some area: Jezierzany) might have function as names indicating an area or a place inhabited by these people. In our case, Holendry is a place where Holendrzy (the Dutch) settled. In Polish areas, the Dutch introduced land draining techniques in order to develop bogs and marshes into farmland and raise cattle. With time, this type of colonization was continued by Germans, occasionally Czechs, and also Poles Their colonization activity usually began with clearing forests and thickets. As a result of the inflow of settlers of other nationalities, segment (H)olendry or Olędry lost its initial ethnic character. In considering the two-segment names with toponymic segments in the form of adjectives derived from names of original villages, it was concluded that accompanying segment Olędry had a differentiating function (cf. p. 2, 4-5). In contrast, in other cited names, segment Olędry is not associated with the differentiating function. This situation is obvious in an area where settlements with the same sounding names do not occur. Considering the above, it is surprising that segment Olędry was consistently present in all name groups. Certainly, the reason for this phenomenon was a privileged position of settlements that were founded under the Olęder law. This charter provided for better social organization of a village community and favorable economic conditions for the village development in comparison to villages founded earlier under the German law. Common occurrence of segment Olędry should be explained by a need to confirm the legal status enjoyed by the Olęder settlements also through a village name. Thus, not only language related reasons, but also an intention to emphasize the legal status contributed to such a common usage of segment Olędry in village names. When the Prussian government introduced uniform self-government of rural communities and regulated rural relations in accordance with the act from 1823, the Olęder law no longer applied. As a result, segment Olędry used as a proof of certain privileges lost its value and was only a proof of laws that were no longer binding. This fact was probably responsible for increasingly less frequent usage of segment Olędry in names in which it had no differentiating function. The appellation of this segment occurred simultaneously, that is, transfer from the proper names category to the common noun category. The Olęder settlements stand out from other villages because of their different cultivation methods, architecture, buildings, ethnical background and customs, and finally economic status. This aspect had an impact on the content of word Olędry, which comprised the above features. Gradual changes in nomenclature of Olęder villages occurred already in the 19th century. I mentioned the elimination of segment Olędry, when its usage lost its legal motivation. Furthermore, identifying segments in the form of adjectives were transformed into noun forms probably under the influence of official German names in the territory annexed by Prussia, for example: Borkowskie Olędry, Ger. Borek Hauland. Segment Olędry or term olędry, which was introduced in its place, had a differentiating function until 1918. After 1918, when Poland became an independent country, the local names, which were changed under the Prussian rule, and new German names underwent polonization. In Wielkopolska, the primary role in this campaign was played by a well-known historian, Rev. Stanisław Kozierowski. Toponymic segment Olędry and the colonization term olędry, which differentiated two the same sounding names that occurred next to each other or accompanied a name independently, were removed from the official lists. This practice was continued after 1945. The reason for this decision was that both segment Olęder and term olęder were recognized as undesirable because they corresponded to word Hauland; German researchers linked this word to verb hauen (clear forest), and therefore, were inclined to treat the entire Olęder colonization in Wielkopolska as a German colonization. I would like to mention that short form Holl., probably from Holländer, which occurs in the German source material cited by Gille. New suffixal forms were introduced in place of segment Olędry and term olędry, which were removed from official lists, but survived in the language of the local residents. These forms were used earlier in order to differentiate names and since the 16th century were universally replacing two-segment forms, especially those containing segments Mały (Small) and Wielki (Big). These transformations were used as an example for naming Olęder settlements, which after 1918 adopted a suffixal form or other forms based on other name structures. Here are the examples: Białeżvńskie Olędry = Białegi, Borkowskie Olędry =Borkowice, Chełmskie Olędry = Chełminko, Chromieckie Olędry = Chromiec, Dłuskie Stare Olędry = Stare Dłusko, Konarskie Olędry = Konarzvce, Króteckie Olędry = Kruteczek, Lewickie Olędry = Lewiczynek, Ludomskie Olędry = Ludomicko, Oberskie Stare Olędry = Obra Dolna, Strychowskie Olędry =Strvszewo, Ujskie Olędry = Ługi Ujskie. It should be added that at times, the described names were replaced by forms that were not associated with former names, for example: Amtskasnerowskie Olędry = Toczeń, Chrzastowskie Olędry = Olsze, present day Olsza, Jedrzejowskie Olędry = Gajewo. Finally, it is noteworthy that some names of Olęder settlements disappeared when these villages were combined with neighboring villages. List of source abbreviations: ASK 13 - Conscription records from Kaliskie province from 1. 1564-1591, Archiwum Skarbu Koronnego (Royal Treasury Archive) in Archiwum Główne Akt Dawnych (Main Office of Public Records) in Warsaw, sec. I, cat. no. 13. Gilly - Special Karte von Südpreussen aus der Königlichen Grossen Topographischen Karte [...] reducirt und herausgegeben von Geheimen Bau-Rath Gilly, Berlin 1802-03, [1: 150000]. Koz II - III - S. Kozierowski, Badania nazw topograficznych dzisiejszej archidiecezji poznańskiej, Poznań 1916. Koz IV - S. Kozierowski, Badania nazw topograficznych na obszarze dawnej zachodniej i środkowej Wielkopolski, Poznań 1921. KsP - [L. Plater], Opisanie historyczno-statystyczne Wielkiego Księstwa Poznańskiego. Pub. J. Bobrowicz, Lipsk 1846. KW - Diplomatic code of Wielkopolska [...] I-IV: pub. [I. Zakrzewski]; V; pub. F. Piekosiński, Poznań 1877-1908. Lek - Die ältesten grosspolnischen Grodbücher. I - II. Hrsg. v. J. Lekszycki, Leipzig 1887-1889. MKL - J. Majchrowski, Nazwy miejscowe dawnego województwa kaliskiego (manuscript). Myc - J. Mycielski, księga adresowa wszystkich miejscowości w W[ielkim] Ks[ięstwie] Poznańskim. Completed by J. Mycielski, Poznań 1902. Rosp - S. Rospond, Słownik nazw geograficznych Polski zachodniej i północnej, Warszawa 1951. Rus - W. Rusiński, Osady tzw. "Olędrów" w dawnym woj. poznańskim, Poznań 1939 - Kraków 1947. SG - Słownik geograficzny Królestwa polskiego i innych krajów słowiańskich. Edited by F. Sulimirskiego, B. Chlebowskiego, W. Walewskiego. I - XV, Warszawa 1880-1902. SHG Pn - Słownik historyczno-geograficzny województwa poznańskiego w średniowieczu. Vol. I - II, b. 3, Wrocław 1982-1991; Vol. II, b. 4, Vol. III, Poznań 1992 and other. Sk X - Index of towns and villages in the Republic of Poland based on results of the first national census from 31. 09. 1921; X: Poznański province, Warsaw ,1926. Verz - Verzeichniss sämtlicher Ortschaften der Provinz Posen [...], Berlin 1883. WM - [J. Lekszycki] Wykaz miejscowości, których nazwiska polskie do roku 1874 na niemieckie zmienione zostały. I-II, Poznań 1875. WUN - List of official names of towns and villages in Poland. I - III, Warszawa 1980-1982. Ilustrations 
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