From Rhönbussard to ASW 28: A diachronic corpus analysis of official names of gliders

Abstract

This article provides the first systematic analysis of the official names of sailplanes. It is based on a diachronic corpus of 405 name families from various countries covering the period from 1920 to 2000, compiled primarily from works by Martin Simons and official sources from manufacturers and institutions. The analysis examines linguistic name bases, semantic domains of reference and naming, and name-formation processes. It focuses on how lexical, alphanumeric, and technical-systematic elements interact and what diachronic changes can be observed. The corpus includes official names of sailplane designs, types, models, series, and variants. Individual names, nicknames, names bestowed in naming ceremonies, and other identifiers are excluded.