Výklady místních jmen na oficiálních webových stránkách obcí

The paper analyses interpretations of place names on the official websites of Czech municipalities. Not only folk etymology, but also quoting official scientific etymologies is investigated. Relationships between the individual interpretations of a toponym are examined. Interpretations on websites often depart directly from folk etymologies, sometimes borrowed from municipal chronicles. On the other hand, some websites present official scientific interpretations or they even refer to authorities in the field of linguistics. The scientific interpretation is often compared to the folk one, often stating which one is considered to be more probable. However, folk etymologies are sometimes preferred to scientific interpretations. Folk interpretations may be based on important factual knowledge, for example awareness of the older form of the toponym, but this does not assure the correctness of the interpretation.