THE DUAL LINGUISTIC AND CULTURAL ATTRIBUTES OF CHINESE AND RUSSIAN TOPONYMS

Toponyms are the products of the process of human social development and have the characteristics of nationality, positioning, directivity, regionality, stability, historicity, and epoch. China and Russia have a vast territory, a long history, many ethnic groups and diverse languages, thus, forming a rich treasure of place names. This paper analyzes phonology, grammar, and word formation, reveals the commonalities and differences between toponyms of the two countries at the linguistic level, and further discusses the national cultural attributes contained in them. Because of the deep connotation and wide extension of toponyms, it can be called an encyclopedia of national and ethnic history, and culture.