Danish Proper Names and Non-Repetition

This is an abstract of four studies.

1) Allitteration in double first names in a parish of Copenhagen in the period from 1650 to 1950.

2) Distribution of consonants in the initial syllable in a collection of Danish place names (parish names).

3) Distribution of consonants in the first syllable of double personal names (those used in the first study).

4) Word derivation and composition within inhabitants' names to Danish county town names.

Names are known for having, to a certain extent, a sound structure different from the one other words have, and, for instance, in the group of the double names we observe the use of repetition as a stylistic means. Nonetheless it is here shown, both with the double first names, place names and inhabitants' names, that names, in general, as to repetition, behave like other words in the language, i.e. they will always be under the influence of a tendency to avoid unintended repetition; that tendency can often not be recognized directly, but by statistical means it is possible to demonstrate its presence. This result is in accordance with the author's earlier studies of groups of names in other languages, of word material as well as of other linguistic material. This is, in fact, a general tendency, a universal.