Wielokulturowość w nazwach - multikulturalizm w onomastyce. Nowe perspektywy

The text deals with the problem of multiculturalism as a concept which functions in social sciences and humanities; it also functions in onomastic research and in the theory of onomastics. The author in her reflection refers to the recently published monograph “Names and Naming. Multicultural Aspects” edited by O. Felecan and A. Bugheşiu (Palgrave Macmillan 2021, pp. 490). In the first part of the article, the author briefly explains the most important concepts related to this issue, including: globalization, glocalization, transethnicity, cultural hybridity. She draws attention to the changes in their understanding in contemporary humanities and social sciences. She presents the most important assumptions of the monograph and the possibilities of including the important concept of multiculturalism into onomastic research carried out all over the world. In the described studies, proper names become an important determinant of individual and group/ethnic identity. The second part of the article presents detailed concepts and research approaches presented in the volume, concerning e.g. proper names in the USA, Russia, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Nigeria. The third part discusses the texts of Polish authors, with particular emphasis on Professor Barbara Czopek- ‑Kopciuch’s (1952‒2020) “Multiculturalism in Polish Toponymy”, which is her last onomastic text. In conclusion, the author pays attention to the application of the notion of multiculturalism in empirical research and in theoretical reflection in onomastics. She stresses the necessity of interdisciplinary research in this field.