NAZWY WŁASNE W „SŁOWNIKU MIMICZNYM DLA GŁUCHONIEMYCH I OSÓB Z NIMI STYCZNOŚĆ MAJĄCYCH”

This study aimed to characterize proper names from the “Słownik mimiczny dla głuchoniemych i osób z nimi styczność mających” written by Józef Hollak and Teofil Jagodziński. This lexicon, targeted at deaf people, their families and friends was edited in 1879. Among the collected proper names, there are anthrophonyms and geographic names. The analyses have shown the similarities and differences between proper names in the Polish Sign Language and the ways of signing the collected onyms indicated by the authors of the dictionary. Results of the analysis confirm that the aim of the dictionary was to become a useful tool in the process of explaining the articles of faith and the Bible. What is more, the structure of the dictionary proves that this is not the lexicon of the Polish Sign Language, but a two-language dictionary that translates vocabulary from Polish language to the Polish Sign Language. This is why the analyzed lexicon does not present the natural system of proper names characteristic of the Polish Sign Language, but rather illustrates different ways of adapting proper names in Polish language to the methods of signing that are possible in Polish Sign Language. The ways of signing proper names indicated by the authors of the dictionary were not aimed at the facilitation of communication with deaf people, instead they reflect the meaning of proper names.