THE ETHNONYM “CERCHEZ” IN ROMANIAN: SEMANTIC DYNAMICS AND ONOMASTIC INTEGRATION

Abstract

The article analyzes the evolution of the cerchez ethnonym in Romanian. The emphasis is on its onomastic status and on the semantic changes that the word has registered over time. The term is observed in historical, administrative, folkloric and literary sources, highlighting the manner it has functioned: initially, as a descriptive ethnonym and, later, it acquiring semantic, nuances associated with social and cultural perceptions about the targeted ethnic group. The paper illustrates the relationship between language, identity and social representations, as well as the mechanisms by which an ethnic name can become an identity marker.