Vrakuňa

Vrakuňa
Borough
Country	Slovakia
Region	Bratislava
District	Bratislava II
River	Little Danube
Elevation	130 m (427 ft)
Coordinates	48°09′00″N 17°13′00″E / 48.15000°N 17.21667°E / 48.15000; 17.21667Coordinates: 48°09′00″N 17°13′00″E / 48.15000°N 17.21667°E / 48.15000; 17.21667
Area	10.297 km2 (3.976 sq mi)
Population	18,996 (2005)
Density	1,845/km2 (4,779/sq mi)
First mentioned	1279
Postal code	82704
Area code	+421-02
Car plate	BA, BL
Location of Vrakuňa in Slovakia
Website: www.bratislava-vrakuna.sk
Source

Vrakuňa is a borough of Bratislava, Slovakia. It is divided by into two parts by the Little Danube river.

The first written mention of Vrakuňa was in 1279 as a village named Werekne. Some other recorded medieval names are Verekene (1290), Frecendorf (1297), Verekuna (1323), Oluerekenye (1356), Berekenye in theutonico Fratedorf (1393) or Vraknye (1459).

The name is probably derived from a Proto-Slavic appelative *vrakunъ, potentially reflecting Pre-Christian (pagan) rituals. The stem vra- means "to speak without making any sense", vrakúň – a wizzard, preserved in Russian as вракун/vrakun – a liar, a gossip). Lajos Kiss (1988) tried to drive the name from Proto-Slavic vir- (a whirl). Šimon Ondruš (1990) from Proto-Slavic vorkъ (in East Slavic languages: vorok - a fence, a barrier) like Vorkonъ, Vorkunovka and other similar names, but documented only for the East Slavs.

Vrakuňa became an official borough of Bratislava on January 1, 1972.