EARLIEST MENTIONS OF ISTRIA, TRIESTE AND THE LITTORAL IN SLOVENIAN TEXTS

The discussion focuses on three basic geographical notions that link the Slovenian territory with the Mediterranean climate: Istria (Slov.: Istra) Trieste (Slov.: Trst) and the Littoral (Slov.: Primorje). The issue concerning the first appearances and other early mentions of the said geographical names in Slovenian texts or, rather, in Slovenian form has to date not been subject to comprehensive study and it has been opening ever new questions, especially as regards the origin and changeable meaning of the notion Littoral (in Slovene: Primorje - noun, primorski - adjective) documented at a rather late stage. The documentation of Slovenian geographical names in Slovenian texts was generally weak until the 19th century. Until that time, very little was written in Slovene, which is especially true of officialdom. The research is based on various databases, particularly Slovenian studies, as well as the author's collection of transcriptions of older Slovenian official texts. The contribution attempts to answer the question as to when the names under discussion appeared for the first time in Slovenian texts or in Slovenian form as well as what linguistic and semantic changes in names these appearances entailed. While the names Trieste and Istria stem from the Antique tradition and appeared in Slovenian form already soon after the publication of the first Slovenian book (1550), the late appearance of the name Littoral could be taken as an indication of its late emergence. However, the said name was most probably old as well, but it came into full use only by drawing upon the Austrian administrative and political arrangement of the 18th and 19th centuries.