ASPEKT LOKÁLNEHO V TOPONOMASTICKÝCH PRÁCACH ANTONA HABOVŠTIAKA

Anton Habovštiak, known in the wide linguistic sphere primarily as an excellent dialectologist, in addition to his main scientific activity in dialectology, was also engaged in the onomastic sphere, especially in the field of anoikonyms. His toponomastic works, culminated in the summarizing monograph Oravské chotárne názvy [Field Names of the Orava Region] (1970), are significant in their structure not only as a sociolinguistic probe into the life of the former inhabitants of his native Orava and their connection with the use of the language, but above all for their enormous contribution to the then beginnings of nationwide anoikonymy research and the creation of Slovak onomastics as such in the second half of the 20th century. The linking of the sociolinguistic aspect with the traditional onomastic and dialectological element can be described as a novelty of the time, which undoubtedly deserves closer attention. Therefore, the primary aim of the paper is a comprehensive presentation of this selected and still inspiring onomastic segment in the otherwise rich and varied scientific research activity of this renowned Slovak linguist.