Foreword

The series "Onomastica Uralica" (OU) was launched at the 9th International Congress of Finno-Ugric Studies in Tartu (Finland) in 2000 with the objective of providing researchers into the onomastics of Uralian languages with a forum for publication and to thus approximate the research methods and thematics of different schools to each other, as well as to facilitate the establishment of joint research programmes in the longer term. The first volumes of the series (1a, b. Selected Bibliography of the Onomastics of the Uralian Languages. Debrecen-Helsinki, 2001; 2. History of the Study of Toponyms in the Uralian Languages. Debrecen-Helsinki, 2002) illustrated the present situation of research into the Uralian onomasticon. Following this we published thematic volumes: one concerning settlement names (3. Settlement Names in the Uralian Languages. Debrecen-Helsinki, 2005), and the other (4. Borrowing of Place Names in the Uralian Languages. Debrecen-Helsinki, 2007) the phenomenon of name borrowing.

We arranged a round table conference regarding the "Onomastica Uralica" programme at the 10th International Congress for Finno-Ugric Studies in Joshkar-Ola (Russia), where significant demands for changes were raised (for more details, see pp. 7-17 of this volume). As a result, we involved more people in the work of the editorial board and we also transformed the publication character of this series: "Onomastica Uralica" will continue as a journal, with a thematic structure as presented in this volume. In addition, however, to publishing thematic volumes, we find it feasible to include major monographs among the volumes of the series. Papers will be published in English and Russian, but we shall also publish them in the major Uralian languages (Hungarian, Finnish and Estonian) in the on-line version of OU. The series contains revised studies only.

We hope that the series will continue to be successful in meeting the new objectives set for the new format.