Névutós

Névutós is a term used in Hungarian onomastics to describe a proposed class of name-derived formations in which a person’s given name serves as a base to form a compound epithet by attaching a suffix that signals association, role, or characteristic. The word is constructed from név, meaning name, and a suffixal element that scholars sometimes refer to in discussions of compound formation. The exact status of névutós as a distinct productive category is debated, and it is not widely standardized in contemporary dictionaries.

Usage and scholarly background: Névutós is not a broadly attested label in mainstream reference works. It appears in a small number of onomastic discussions and is frequently treated as a descriptive umbrella for certain historical or literary forms rather than as a universally accepted grammatical process. Some linguists analyze the relevant forms as ordinary compounds of a proper name with a second element, while others argue for recognizing névutós as a specialized, though contested, productive pattern in named epithet formation.

Function and interpretation: When discussed, névutós is understood as serving to indicate association with or characteristics attributed to the named individual, often in historical, literary, or folkloric contexts. The approach and interpretation vary among scholars, reflecting broader debates about how personal names interact with descriptors in Hungarian naming practices.

See also: Onomastics, Epithet, Patronymic, Compound word.