NATURE OF PROPER NAMES

The aim of the article is to comment on the difference between proper names and appelatives. The method consists in an analysis of the language data excerpted from French newspapaer Figaro. According to a widespread opinion, which arose in antiquity, the difference between a proper name and an appellative consists in the fact that the proper name refers to one object or one individual, whereas the common name refers to many objects or individuals. However, all first names, surnames and ethnonyms as well as some geographical names refer to many individuals or objects. The present writer claims that, in reality, the difference consists in the fact that, in about 96% of the cases, the proper name is not translated from one language into another, cf. Eng.'town' and Fr. 'ville', but Eng. 'Brussels' and Fr. 'Bruxelles'.