Traditional Oikonyms’ Models In Names Of Settlements Of The Republic Of Kalmykia

Abstract

The article considers oikonyms as proper names of geographical objects in the Kalmyk region. The oikonyms are an integral part of the lexical system of one or another language. The oikonyms function and develop according to the laws of the language. The study of regional oikonyms is essential. The oikonyms introduce new reliable material that is associated with cultural and historical events, the economic, material, and spiritual culture of the people living in this territory. The involvement of new oikonymic material will help confirm or disprove the results of previous studies, put forward new tasks, and help solve them. The material in this article will contribute to the creation of a complete oikonymic picture of the Kalmyk region and will ensure sufficient completeness and objectivity of the compared material. The study takes into account the peculiarities of oikonyms of the Kalmyk region. All oikonyms are divided into the three thematic groups. This separation is based on the ability of oikonyms to capture spatial and temporal representations. The oikonyms capture the location of an object relative to reality. The oikonyms capture in themselves all the events that occur in the life of a given society. The analysis of oikonyms of the Kalmyk region led to the following results: the basic derivational models include a non-derivative basis, consisting of one syllable, as well as more than three, affixation, compounding, phrase and other parts of the language that depend on the structure of the language.

Keywords: Russian languageoikonymsKalmyk regiongeographical namestraditional modelsword formation

Introduction

This article is devoted to the study of the oikonymic system of one of the southern Russia regions – the Republic of Kalmykia. The region under study is the territory in which people appeared and chose their place of residence more than 400 years ago. The complex historical fate of the region under study is refracted in the oikonym in particular. The choice of the topic of the article is dictated by the need to study oikonymic vocabulary. The oikonymic vocabulary of Kalmykia developed over a long time and reflected all spheres of human activity in its economic, material, and spiritual activities.

It should be noted that the Kalmyk region retains some traces of the past people's way of life in the oikonymy, the presence of substrate elements in the oikonyms. The formation of the Kalmyk oikonymic system, which has developed and formed over several centuries, is still not adequately represented in the Kalmyk oikonymics. The need to fill this gap determines the relevance of this article.

The development of the oikonymic system at the present stage requires the elimination of "white spots" in a given territory. We note that the material in this article will contribute to some extent to the creation of a complete oikonymic picture of the Kalmyk region. The theoretical and methodological basis of the research in the field of onomastics was the original work of Ageeva (2012), Huber (2013), Superanskaya (2011), Zhamsaranova (2014), Suprun (2000), Borisenko and Ubushieva (2000), Niclas Burenhult, and Levinson (2006), Cablitz (2006), and other researchers.

Problem Statement

The oikonyms, like toponyms in general, are associated with the history, culture, and ethnography of the people. The oikonyms contain both linguistic and cultural-historical information. The oikonyms are unique cultural monuments. When studying oikonyms, it is necessary to take into account the regional character. The study of the region oikonyms is significant for the reason that new reliable material is being introduced into scientific circulation. This material reflects certain historical events of the region, this area. This material helps to understand the features of the entire regional oikonymic system as a whole. Until now, the Kalmyk oikonymic has not adequately represented the formation of the Kalmyk oikonymic system in the Kalmyk region. The oikonymic system of the region has a long history of formation and formation over a long time. Of particular importance for the formation of the oikonymic system are the surrounding nature, environment, material, spiritual culture of the people, the ethnic composition of the population, linguistic and cultural contacts.

Research Questions

Oikonymy is a set of names of settlements of a particular territory. In this regard, oikonymy is of great scientific interest for research. The oikonyms of human settlements are one of the interpretive signs that reflect national identity. In oikonyms, the territory of one or another ethnic group living at a given historical moment or once living on it is fixed. Currently, according to the 2010 census, more than 92 nations and nationalities live in Kalmykia.

The formation of oikonymy in the Republic of Kalmykia is due, first of all, to the close communication of Kalmyks with different groups. Here, at least three primary strata of oikonyms can be distinguished: Kalmyk, Russian and Turkic since these strata arose as a result of a long historical interaction of these three ethnic groups in the territory of Eurasian space. It should be noted that Kalmyks over 400 years ago moved to the Volga region from the Dzungarian Khanate. In the Volga region, they actively interacted with different groups; here, they came into close contact not only with Russians but also with Nogais, Kazakhs, Turks of the North Caucasus, as well as with Crimean Tatars. Contacts were ethnic, cultural, economic, and linguistic. All these questions directly concern the problem of the formation of oikonymy strata of the Kalmyk region and require the close attention of linguists. These circumstances explain the tremendous scientific significance and relevance of this problem.

The oikonyms are characterized by variability, which is associated with general trends in the development of the lexical system of the language: the loss of individual geographical names due to neoplasms, borrowings, specific oikonymic reasons. The emergence of new oikonyms is determined by many extralinguistic factors related to the needs of the time, contacts with other nations, and the social conditions of the people living in this territory.

Kartavenko (2009) believes that the toponyms of a particular territory are interconnected. The peoples inhabiting one territory have collective psychology; they equally perceive the surrounding reality. All this is confirmed by the similarity of oikonymic models in one or another territory. Moreover, the oikonymic system is strictly territorial. The oikonyms include many language elements for naming geographic features that are located here regardless of language or dialect. Thus, the oikonymic system combines multilingual oikonymy material, which is characterized by specific characteristics.

According to the researchers of onomastics, the following periods can be distinguished in the formation of the onomasticon layer of the Kalmyk region: “early (before 1917), reflecting the natural features of the surrounding reality, associated mainly with the nomadic way of life, names – landmarks on the vast onomastic space of Eurasia; medium (until 1943) – a radical renewal of onomastics, in particular, toponymy, reflecting the ideas of the Soviet regime before the deportation of Kalmyks to Siberia; modern (from 1957 to the present day) is the rehabilitation of the Kalmyk people and the restoration of the rights not only of the autonomy of the republic but also of old geographical names” (Monraev, 2017, p. 43). These historical ups and downs, in turn, left a peculiar imprint on the entire system of the Kalmyk layer of oikonyms.

Given the peculiarities of the oikonyms of the Kalmyk region, all oikonyms can be divided into the following thematic groups. Combining the oikonyms, they are supposed to be represented in the following thematic groups: a) inanimate nature, b) wildlife, c) man, human activity (Rassadin, 2018). The abilities of oikonyms are their capacity to capture the spatial and temporal characteristics of reality with the help of a language. The oikonyms reflect the location of an object relative to reality. The okonyms reflect all the events that occur in the life of a given society.

The oikonyms of the first group reflect the specifics and characteristics of the geographical landscape, give a characteristic of the relief of a particular area, water bodies, and the diversity of the plant world. The oikonyms include the names of hills, lowlands, mounds, mounds, ponds, springs, wells, and other objects. Thus, all the natural wealth of a small steppe territory of the Kalmyk region is reflected in the Kalmyk layer of oikonyms. The oikonyms of this group include names derived from hydronyms associated with the taste of water. For example, such names are Amtya-Usta (literally: with tasty water), Gashun Bulg (literally: a spring with a bitter taste of water). For example, names with a color designation are Har-Buluk (literally: black spring), Tsagan-Usn (literally: white water), Altn Bulg (literally: golden spring), Bor Nur (literally: gray lake), Har Usn (literally: black water). Name by location is Teegin Nur (literally: a lake in the steppe). Among the reservoirs, the huduk "well" has a special place. Most of the Kalmyk region was rich in hoodies. According to Khoninov (2010), in the republic, there are about 3,000 hoodoos. These hoodoos were associated with the specifics of the nomadic economy of the Kalmyks. The names of hoods are usually associated with its owner, for example, Manҗin hudg (literally: Manji well), Ochrin hudg (literally: Ochira well), Onchkin hudg (literally: Onchka well), Li )in hudg (literally: Lidzhi well), Ermyalin hudg (literally: well Ermyali) and Narn Khuduk (literally: sunny well). Traditionally, the names of the Khudiks (wells) of the Kalmyks came from the name of those people who dug them. People called them huducci.

The names of oikonyms reflect the terrain. For example, this is Ut Sala (literally: a long beam), Balkovsky (the settlement is in a beam), a landscape, Shorva (literally: a salt marsh). Oikonyms formed by the name of the plant world are Burgusta (literally: verbose), Kegult (literally: blackthorn), Utta (literally: willow), Modta (literally: with trees). Also, oikonyms denote countries of the world, for example, Northern, Southern, Western, Eastern.

The oikonyms of the second group include those oikonymic units that denote wildlife, give an idea of the animal world, for example, Yalmta (literally: with jerboas), Chonta (literally: with wolves), reptiles, for example, Mogata (literally: with snakes), birds, for example, Vorobevka.

The oikonyms of the third group carry information about a person and his activities. This group is one of the many, as it constitutes the oikonyms of anthropogenic origin. For example, such oikonyms are Gorodovikovsk, Dzhalykovo, Khomutnikovsky, Matrosovo, Kirovsky, Kalinisky, Umantsevo, Bembishevo, Kanukovo, Chapaevsky, Chkalovsky. Ethononym oikonyms are represented by the following examples: Zyungar, Dzhedzhikiny, Mandzhikiny. It is noteworthy that the oikonyms of the Kalmyk region behave grammatically as oikonyms, and not like ordinary nouns. This feature of oikomen reflects the ontological difference between places and objects discussed in linguistic semantics. Let us turn to the research of nominal vocabulary, denoting the landscape features in Makalero, the Papuan language of East Timor (Huber, 2013). In a study of the Papuan language, it is noted that cultural parameters underlie the morphological separation between monomorphic and derived terms, the metaphorical use of terms from the area of the body and the person in a subset of landscape terms, and also the names of places. For example, these are oikonyms that designate parts of the human body. For example, such terms are Cholun-Hamur (literally: a stone nose), Har Tolga (literally: a blackhead), Evdeg (literally: a bending "knee"), Zunda Tolga (literally: a hundred heads).

Based on this, we can say that oikonymy carries essential information about the cultural and historical traditions, the characteristics of the material culture of the Kalmyk region. The oikonymy reflects the objective world, ethnic relations.

Recently, researchers in the oikonymy of individual regions have paid much attention to the structural analysis of oikonyms. For certain territories and their languages, specific models of oikonyms are inherent, that is, individual structural features of individual geographical names of settlements. In the oikonyms of settlements, signs of the environment are reflected – this is a geographical landscape and relief expressed using language.

It should be noted that in its morphological structure, oikonyms are nouns formed using various word-formation models. Many of these patterns are widely used in most languages. On the territory of Kalmykia, oikonyms by their linguistic origin belong to the following language groups:

  • Mongolian-speaking names: a) Kalmyk; b) Mongolian;

  • Slavic names: a) Russian; b) Ukrainian, slightly different from Russian;

  • Turkic names.

The Turkic-speaking layer of oikonyms on the territory of Kalmykia is one of the oldest. One of the ancient Turkic peoples who lived in the new territory was the Nogais, who lived here before the Kalmyks from the Dzungarian Khanate, more than 400 years ago. The Turkic-speaking in Kalmykia is the oikonyms: Kara-sal, Yashkul, Har-Buluk, and other terms. There are oikonymic parallels between the Turkic and Kalmyk languages. For example, the Turkic word "bulak" and the Kalmyk "bulg" meaning "spring." The Turkic word "kudag" is similar in meaning to the Kalmyk word "hudg," meaning "well." The Türkic word "koton" is similar in meaning to the Kalmyk word "hotn," meaning "crib, paddock." The Turkic word "aimak" is similar in meaning to the Kalmyk word "әәmg," meaning "district." The Türkic word "salaa" is similar in meaning to the Kalmyk word "sal" meaning "fork." The Türkic word "kara" is similar in meaning to the Kalmyk word "har," meaning "black." The Türkic word "sara" is similar in meaning to the Kalmyk word "shar," meaning "yellow."

Kalmyk language belongs to the group of North Mongolian languages. Most Kalmyk words have common roots with the Khalkha-Mongolian words since the Kalmyk oikonymy has a typical Mongolian character. The difference between the Kalmyk and Khalkha-Mongolian languages ​​and, accordingly, oikonyms in phonetics and lexical composition. For example, the Khalkha-Mongolian word "chuluu" is close to the Kalmyk "cholun," meaning "stone." The Khalkha-Mongolian word "nogon" is close to the Kolmyk word "noһan," meaning "grass." The Khalkha-Mongolian word "hөh" is close to the Kalmyk "kөk," meaning "blue." The Khalkha-Mongolian word "adag" is close in meaning to the Kalmyk word "adg," meaning "estuary."

The formation of Russian oikonyms in Kalmykia is associated with socio-economic processes, which lead to a mixture of Russian and Kalmyk oikonyms. So, for example, the origin of Russian geographical names is different: the name of the oikonym depends on the landscape and terrain – Sadovoye, Vinogradnoye, Stepnoy, Balkovsky, Chernozemsky, Prudovy. Names are transferred from Russian places and are often associated with the former place of residence of residents. Such names are Ulyanovsk, Esto-Khaginka, Nem-Khaginka. A particular group is formed by oikonyms dedicated to outstanding personalities: Pushkinskoye, Kalininsky, Dzhalykovo, Berezovsky. The oikonyms express emotional feelings: Abundant, Fertile, Sweet, Advanced, Sunny.

Purpose of the Study

This article aims to describe the oikonymy of the Kalmyk region in the lingua-cultural aspect, determine the ways of education, and identify their word-formation models.

Research Methods

The research material was oikonyms, selected by the method of continuous sampling from cartographic, archival materials. This sample allows ensuring sufficient completeness and objectivity of the compared material. To analyze oikonyms, we use one of the traditional general linguistic methods for studying lexical material, the first descriptive and analytical method. The descriptive and analytical method will help to systematize the material involved following the goals and objectives of the study. A descriptive and analytical method, the method will reveal the original appellative, which lies at the basis of a particular oikonym. This method also allows correlating oikonym with certain objects and the time of its formation. The word-formation method will allow considering and identify types of models.

Findings

The analysis of the oikonyms of the Kalmyk region leads the following results: the basic derivational types include the non-derivative basis (consisting of one syllable and more than three), affixation, collocation, and collocation, which depend on the structure of the language. The following type of oikonymic word formation is characteristic of the Russian language.

1. The basis of oikonym is a noun in its original form, in the form of a nominative case. For example, such words are Sal, Shin, Adyk, Arym, Akhnud, Bayr, Barun, Bergin, Bugu, Burgla, Burul, Gashun, Voshod (Sunrise), Gojur, Dzhangar, Dzhurak, Dolan, Dotseng, Zurgan, Zyungar, Ijil, Cordon, Kuma, Chanta, Lagan, Flipper, Leasta, Magna, Mayskii, Mantz, Magych, Mirnyi (Peaceful), Modta, Narta, Naryn, Shatta, Novyi (New), Oling, Dawn, Sarpa, Sarul, Svetlyi (Bright), Sosta, Stepnoy, Tatal, Tugtun, Utta, Harba, Justa, Hogn, Zegg, Tsoros, Tsuva, Chanta, Chilgir, Chonta, Shared, Sharva, Sharnut, Shorv, Evdik, Elvg, Yuzhny, Yalmta, Yashkul, Argamdzhe, Artesian, Barmantsak, Achinery, Babinskoye, Bembishevo.

2. Base with an affix. For example, these are Gorodovikovsk, Ulyanovsk, Voznesenovka, Lazarevsky, Tundutovo, Bembishevo, Umantsevo, Dzhalykovo, Vorobevka, Oktyabrsky, Burannoye, Razdolny, Matrosovo, Proletarsky, Maysky, Tsvetnoy, Ozerny, Stepnoy, Dorozhny, Rybachy, Yakovlevo, Yerskimsky Yermskiy.

3. Base with a prefix. For example, this is Primanych.

4. The base and with a prefix, and with a suffix. For example, it is Primanych, Prikumsky, Privolny.

5. Composition (duplicity) of different species. This model is widespread in Russian when naming settlements. This model is widespread in Russian oikonymy. As noted by Kozhin (1969): "The ability of an adjective to merge into a single meaningful whole with a definable noun is an expression systematically determined in the Russian language, and this property has been used since ancient times to denote settlements." For example, this is Krasnopole, Krasnomikhailovskoye, Pervomaisky. "Such oikonyms," as Zhilenkova (2017), – may include short forms of adjectives in its composition, which is a sign of ancient East Slavic top-models".

6. A phrase consisting of an adjective and a noun. For example, these are Malyye Derbety, Bol'shoy Tsaryn, Verkhniy Yashkul', Bol'shoy Gok, Bol'shoy Burukshun, Malyy Burukshun, Khar Usn, Tsagan Bulg, Tsagan Usn, Kara Liman, Vostochnyy Manych, Burukshunskiye Limany, Ulan Khol, Batyr Mala; Krasnyy Manych, Chernyye Zemli, Svetlyy Yerek. In these names, oikronim is represented by the full form of the adjective, which, according to Zhilenkova (2017) "testifies to the later nature of such toponyms."

7. The phrases forming the corresponding pairs are represented by the adjectives large-small, indicate the size of the settlement. For example, this is Baga-Burul – Iki Burul, Iki-Chonos – Baga-Chonos, Bolshoy Burukshun – Malyil Burukshun.

8. The phrases forming the relative pairs are represented by the adjectives upper – lower. For example, this is Verhnii Yashkul (literally: Upper Yashkul) – Nijnii Yashkul (literally: Lower Yashkul).

9. The phrases that form the relative pairs are represented by adjectives that name the parts of the world. For example, this is North-South, West-East.

10. The phrases forming the corresponding pairs are represented by adjectives denoting the colors white-black. For example, Tsagan Usn (literally: white water) – Har usn (literally: black water).

11. Phrases based on the names of various local geographical terms. For example, this is Ulan-Erge (literally: red coast), Har-Buluk (literally: black spring), Tsagan-Nur (literally: white river), Tsagan-Usn (literally: white water), Har-Tolga (literally: blackhead), Cholun-Khamur (literally: black nose), Narn-Khuduk (literally: sunny well), Shin tag (literally: new steppe).

12. Phrases include Sovietism. For example, this is the Krasnyy partisan (literally: Red Partisan), Internatsional'nyy (literally: International), Revdolgan, Proletarskiy (literally: Proletarian), Oktyabr'skiy (literally: October), Mayskiy (literally: May), Partizanskiy (literally: Partisan), Novaya zhizn' (literally: New Life), Rassvet (literally: Dawn).

13. Phrases, which include the names of famous personalities. For example, these are Gorodovikovsk, Ulyanovsk, Voznesenovka, Lazarevsky, Tundutovo, Bembishevo, Umantsevo, Dzhalykovo, Yakovlevo, Ermolinsky, Kirovsky, Pushkinsky.

14. Affixation is the most common way of forming Russian oikonyms in the Kalmyk region. Suffixes are the most productive among parts of speech in the formation of ecumene. So, the suffix "-sk-" can join the consonant bases without significant morphological transformations. For example, this is Artezian – artezianskiy, Gashun – gashunskiy, Burugshun – burugshunskiy, Bol'shoy Tsaryn – bol'shetsarynskiy, Barun - barunskiy, Bergin – berginskiy, Zurgan – zurganskiy, Zyungar – zyungarskiy, Arshan'-Zel'men' – arshan'-zel'menskiy, Shin teg – shin-tegskiy, Amur-Sanan – amur-sananskiy, Arym – arymskiy, Ar Nur – ar-nurskiy, Godzhur – godzhurskiy, Akhnud – akhnudskiy, Arym – arymskiy, Tugtun – tugtunskiy, Baga-Tugtun – baga-tugtunskiy, Khar Usn – khar-usnskiy, Shin teg – shin-tegski)y, Tsagan-Nur – Tsagan-nurskiy. Besides, the Russian suffix -sk- is used in the oikonyms formation, which arose based on masculine names on -ov, -ev. For example, this is Khomutnikov – Khomutnikovsky, Gorodovikov - Gorodovikovsky, Vasilyev – Vasilyevsky, Lazarev – Lazarevsky, Chkalov – Chkalovsky. The suffix -sk- is used in the formation of oikonyms of geographical names from surnames. If the surnames end with -o, then the suffix truncates the base. For example, this is Yakovlevo – Yakovlevsky, Umantsevo – Umantsevsky, Tundutovo – Tundutovsky, Bembishevo – Bembishevsky, Matrosovo – Matrosovsky, Volkovo – Volkovsky, Kanukovo – Kanukovsky, Dzhalykovo – Dzhalykovsky.

In the Russian geographical names of the Kalmyk region, the suffix -k- is found, which, when oikonyms are formed, can be discarded or truncated. For example, this is Voznesenovka – Voznesenovsky, Vorobyovka – Vorobievsky, Maksimovka – Maksimovsky. The Russian language is characterized by one more regularity: if the Kalmyk geographical name ends with the letter -l, then the letter "soft sign" will be written and pronounced before the suffix -sk- in the educated Russian oikonym.

For example, this is Burul – Burulsky, Iki-Burul – Iki-Burulsky, Baga-Burul – Baga-Burulsky, Ijil – Ijilsky, Kara-Sal – Kara-Salsky, Sarul – Sarulsky, Sal – Salsky, Tegin Gerl – Tegin-gerelsky, Ulan-Khol – Ulan-Kholsky. Suffixes, as the material showed, can be either simple or complex. The most active suffix is the suffix -sk-. The suffix -sk- joins the consonantal stems or stems with a vague vowel. Of the 250 analyzed oikonyms, this suffix is found in 93 oikonyms, which is 37.2 %. In second place in the frequency of use is the suffix -insk-. The suffix -insk- joins the vocal bases, in which the final vowel is truncated as a result of which this suffix takes on stress. This suffix is found in 62 oikonyms and makes up 24.8 %. The suffix -ensk- is found in 53 oikonyms – 21, 2 %. The suffix -ovsk- is found in 40 adjectonyms (16 %). The suffix -nsk-, which was found in two oikonyms, was 0.8 % of the total number of oikonyms.

Conclusion

The analyzed oikonyms give us an idea of the unique oikonymic subsystem of the Kalmyk region. The formation of any oikonymic system is based on extralinguistic factors: local geographic conditions, the ethnic composition of the region, peculiarities of a person’s perception of the world around him, and historical events. All this must be taken into account and analyzed in any onomastic study. As a result, the following characteristic signs of the oikonyms of the Kalmyk region were revealed. Many oikonyms of the Kalmyk region are associated with the names of prominent personalities of the Soviet period. The geographical landscape and terrain are of great importance and, of course, serves as a motive for naming the place of settlement. As we know, the nomads very carefully chose their land, because the land for the nomad had a sacred meaning, as a condition of his life. Attention was drawn to climatic conditions, soil, water bodies, flora, and fauna, which can be used in a nomadic way of life.

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31 October 2020

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Sociolinguistics, linguistics, semantics, discourse analysis, translation, interpretation

Cite this article as:

Menkenovna, T. S., Lidzhievna, B. V., Mikhailovna, K. T., Ogolova, L. A., & Dashidondokovna, B. B. (2020). Traditional Oikonyms’ Models In Names Of Settlements Of The Republic Of Kalmykia. In D. K. Bataev (Ed.), Social and Cultural Transformations in the Context of Modern Globalism» Dedicated to the 80th Anniversary of Turkayev Hassan Vakhitovich, vol 92. European Proceedings of Social and Behavioural Sciences (pp. 3792-3800). European Publisher. https://doi.org/10.15405/epsbs.2020.10.05.505