A virtuális macskák névadásának vizsgálata

Absztrakt

Names for virtual cats  

Based on data collected from the website “CicaNevelde [CatNursery]”, which allows visitors to breed virtual cats, the author analyses names for net cats. Results suggest that most names for virtual cats are taken from the category of so-called word names, i.e. meaningful names, or they are transformed proper names. Most frequently, word names referring to a characteristic feature (especially appearance) as well as hypocoristic versions of female first names have become names for net cats. In most cases, instead of unusual and novel name forms, pet owners choose cat names known from real life. This practice does not affect the name stock of cats, but because of the Internet and the virtual space, names for virtual cats are different from those of real animals in orthography and the use of graphic characters.