Alanica в топонимии Дона
Alanica in the Don toponymy

Summary/Abstract: The aim of the proposed study is to determine the Iranian trace in the toponymy (mostly in hydronymy), attested in the basin of the Don river. In particular, taking into account the results of the etymological analysis of a toponym group in the Don river region, the author considers that the conclusion about its Alanian genesis is very likely. An important factor leads to this thought: the words reconstructed in this study have a close equivalent or full identity only in the archaic Ossetian vocabulary (appellative and toponymic), which inherits Alanian lingual tradition. There is a reason to reconstruct the following Alanian words: *aspa-sāg, *aspa-[s]nav-, *mar-āf, *sāga-stān, *sūs-at, *uz-tarp, *us-tarp, *xalxal-an, *xanʒa. *Aspa-[s]nav- and *uz-tarp, *us-tarp are of particular interest for the practice of etymology and comparative-historical linguistics. The first example is an Iranian word-coinage of a Slavic toponym such as Кобылья Снова and consequently indicates the ancient Alanian and Slavonic language contacts. The second lexeme can be evidence of Iranian and Baltic lingual interaction in the Don and the Dnieper region. The conclusion on Alanian heritage in the Don toponymy can be supported with data from archaeology and history, therefore it is clear that further search of evidences of Iranian lexical relicts in this region will be in perspective.

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