Северо-западная группа финно-угорских языков и ее субстратное наследие

Abstract

The results of the toponymic and dialectological studies in the Russian North recently summarised by A. K. Matveev make it possible to replace the notion of the “Finno-Lappic” group with that of a “Northwestern” (or “Upper Volga”, according to the probable localisation of the proto-home) group of Finno-Ugric languages, comprised of the following branches: Baltic-Finnic, Saami, Lop’, Toima, probably also Merya and Tver’. Projecting some forms of the attested daughter languages, as well as of some Finno-Ugric reconstructions, on the Northwestern, resp. Late Northwestern (Lop’ and Toima) levels helps to refine some old etymological explanations and to suggest several new ones. The origin of the element -ньга in river names, as well as of the hydronyms and geographical terms Ухт(а), Ундо, Лача, Воже, потча, Вага, Кенозеро, etc. is discussed in the paper.