The Meaning of the Name Dracula (and Dracul) and Its Reconstruction

Abstract

This article deals with the analysis of the meaning and the origin of the proper name Dracula, belonging to the well-known vampire created by Bram Stoker, from an etymological point of view. Indeed, Dracula is not a fictitious proper name, but it is the epithet of Vlad III (“the Impaler”), ruler of Wallachia in 15th century. The reconstruction of the etymology of this name, which can be analysed as drac + -ul + -a, has triggered a great discussion among scholars, who gave two different meanings to this sobriquet: ‘the devil’ or ‘the son of the dragon’. The name Dracula appears to be a derivative from the sobriquet Dracul, which belonged to Vlad III’s father, Vlad II, a member of the Order of the Dragon. Therefore, discussed in a new light in this paper is the hypothesis that the sobriquets Dracul and Dracula are Latinisms from Lat. draco ‘dragon, (mythological) huge-sized serpent’ with the addition of the Romanian postpositive article -ul ‘the’ and, i n t he case of Dracula, t he addition of t he ending -a with the meaning ‘the son of’. An important role in this etymological inquiry is also played by extra-linguistic factors, such as textual and material sources and historical background.