CÂTEVA OBSERVAȚII DESPRE STRĂINI ȘI VENETICI ÎN ONOMASTICA ROMÂNEASCĂ*

The terms străin ‘foreigner’ and venetic ‘non-local’ have developed from common nouns, used to designate categories of people, to individualized proper nouns. This evolution followed the usual pattern: from a nickname to a by-name and, subsequently, to a patronym. Nowadays, the surnames Străinu and Veneticu are extremely infrequent among Romanian patronyms and toponyms. However, they represent a relevant part of both our general and our onomastic history, as witnesses of economic, social and cultural changes. Although their evolution as proper nouns has not been spectacular, these words reflect a significant historical reality, which is worth analysing and understanding. For this very reason, this paper aims at exploring and explaining them in detail.