Linguocultural characteristics of Russian and Evenki hydronyms in South Yakutia

This study investigates Russian and Evenki hydronyms of South Yakutia from a linguocultural perspective. Hydronymy of both Russian and Evenki origin serves as a valuable source of information regarding the unique of each group’s national worldview, as the linguocultural approach enables the elucidation of interrelationships between language, culture, history, and the worldview of the respective ethnic groups. The relevance of this work stems from the necessity for a comprehensive examination of the ethnographic, cultural, and ideological specificities of the Russian and Evenki toponymic landscape of South Yakutia. The aim of the study is an ethnolinguistic description of the hydronymy of South Yakutia, focusing on a comparative analysis of Russian and Evenki names of bodies of water, with the goal of identifying linguocultural features that reflect ethnic identity. To achieve this aim, the following objectives were formulated: to analyze the etymology of names for rivers, streams, and lakes; and to identify specific characteristics that determine the classification of hydronyms within the considered linguistic and cultural traditions. The research employs the following methods: an ethnolinguistic approach to determine the interrelationships between the linguistic forms of hydronyms and the cultural, historical, and religious beliefs of the corresponding ethnic groups, as well as comparative and quantitative (measurement) methods. The analysis of toponym characteristics facilitated the identification of unifying and differentiating factors in comparison to other groups, acknowledging the differential prisms through which each group perceives and interacts with the surrounding world.