ETYMOLOGICAL OVERVIEW OF THE TOPONYMS OF THE NORTH-EASTERN DIRECTIONS OF THE SILK ROAD

Abstract

The Great Silk Road, initially proceeded from east to west, but in the future, in connection with the development of trade, several directions of movement of this path branched in different directions arose. One of these directions arose during the formation of the Ancient Turkic, Ancient Uyghur Khaganates in the northern and northeastern regions. Obviously, camel caravans carrying Chinese silk crossed the Utyuken and reached the Yenisei valleys. The purpose of this article is an etymological analysis of some historical toponyms of the northern and northeastern directions of the Silk Road. We are aware that the Silk Roads, covering much of Eurasia, went in several directions and formed many caravan palaces and stopping points. However, roadside macro-toponyms and names of settlements (oikonyms) have not yet been systematically considered linguistically. This determines the relevance of the article and is part of a large scientific study on this topic. The analysis of the etymology of the toponyms under consideration, the definition from which language they were created and who inhabited these places, increases the scientific significance of the article. The tasks of achieving the goal of the article in the introductory part are given brief information on the origin, formation, development of the Great Silk Road. In addition, the article presents the chronology, range of analyzed toponyms. The article selected toponyms characteristic of the northern direction of the Silk Road and carried out their etymological analysis.

The practical significance of the study lies in the search for answers to the questions: is there in our time a trade route of the northern branches of the Great Silk Road, do we use it and can we revive it? The author compares previously expressed opinions and conclusions about the meaning of the historical toponyms and then offers his conclusions. The study used comparative historical, areal techniques characteristic of linguistics. Due to the peculiar difficulty of revealing the etymology of historical, ancient toponyms, the author notes that the prognostic nature of the conclusions proposed by him prevails, but nevertheless, etymological analysis was carried out successfully. In the article, as a result of the study, the etymology of several previously not considered historical toponyms is revealed, their origin and meaning are introduced into scientific circulation. The article also made valuable discoveries about the Turkic tribes that formed the northern branches of the Great Silk Road.