К историко-лингвистическому изучению донской гидронимии

Abstract

From the generic point of view the names of rivers and lakes in the Don area can be subdivided onto etymologically transparent names and words of unknown origin. Turkic and Slavic names dominate. Other languages are represented in fewer hydronyms (Kalmuck, Iranian) or regarded as questionable (Finno-Ugric). The derivatives from the names of trees (Olhovka, Dubovka, Beryozovaya) are considered to be undoubtedly Russian, but one cannot rule out the possibility of copying the previously present Turkic or earlier names. We classify such hydronyms as Aksay, Yelan’, Kumylga, Buzuluk under unquestionably Turkic ones. The last discoveries of Volgograd archeologists allow us to enlarge our knowledge of the history of the hydronym Don up to the period of Indo-European Language Community, formed in the steppes of the south of Russia.