Once again about the names of Bulaesti and Woloka: some refinements to the issue of origin of Bulaestian Ukrainians
Once again about the names of Bulaesti and Woloka: some refinements to the issue of origin of Bulaestian Ukrainians

Summary/Abstract: The article considers some new facts and ideas concerning the origin of the toponym Bulaesti in the context of the issue on the origin of the Bulaestian Ukrainians ethnic group. The key fact is the existence of Moldavian dialectal words bu| lai and bu| la, which are evidently related with the Slavic булава, and, consequently pre-Slavic *bula “bump, bulge; knob”. These words were found in the Prut river basin, in the area of those Ukrainian dialects that are closely related to Bulaestian dialect in the lexis and phonetics. In the same region, and in several times, we encounter another important toponym of the Bulaesti vicinity, Woloka. It is namely Woloka village (of Vijnitsa district) where the lexeme bula was found. Therefore, not only the lexis and phonetics of Bulaestian dialect points to the area of Pokutian-Bukovinian Ukrainian dialects, but the place names of Bulaesti and Woloka as well. Apparently, all considered in the article facts present important arguments to the idea that the names of Bulaesti and Woloka arose namely among Bulaestian dialect speakers, that brought this toponymic tradition from the area of Prut-Bukovinian Ukrainian dialects to the region of Orhei Kodry.

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