ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSFORMATIONS AND THEIR IMPACT ON PLACE-NAME EVOLUTION: A COMPARATIVE LINGUISTIC ANALYSIS OF ENGLISH AND KAZAKH GEOGRAPHICAL NOMENCLATURE

Abstract

Revealing the relationships between climate change and environmental shifts is extremely important for preserving the cultural identity of countries. The purpose of the presented study was to analyse the impact of environmental changes on toponymy in England and Kazakhstan. The paper emphasizes the relevance of toponyms as vital elements of cultural heritage. The methods used in the paper were based on an interdisciplinary approach. Several cartographic and linguistic databases were used as data source. These databases provided reliable geographical and linguistic information for comparative analysis.

To study the relationship between еnvironmental changes and changes in toponymy, the paper combined linguistic, ecological and cultural analyses. The results showed that a comparative analysis between England and Kazakhstan made it possible to identify thematic groups for studying common features and differences in the evolution of toponymy under the influence of both natural and anthropogenic factors. The analysis of the relevant literature has demonstrated how these changes can lead to the change or disappearance of existing toponyms. The results of this study must expand the understanding of toponyms as cultural markers that dynamically respond to environmental transformations. The study emphasizes the scientific novelty of comparing the toponymy of two different countries. It also offers recommendations for the preservation of this heritage. The need for further interdisciplinary research to study the consequences of environmental changes for cultural identity and memory is emphasized.