CULTURAL ASPECTS OF KAZAKH PLACE NAMES IN CHINESE TERRITORY

Place names do not merely refer to geographical objects of a specific region, but also serve as an important indicator of the culture, history, worldview, and lifestyle of a people. Each nation has its own distinctive characteristics in naming places, which reflect their national identity and culture. For the Kazakh people, the cultural aspects of place names hold special significance as well. The Kazakh population in China, who have long adhered to a nomadic lifestyle, have preserved their national and cultural characteristics in place names. For them, these names represent a clear reflection of their ancestors' way of life, history, and relationship with nature. The Kazakhs living in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region have expressed their culture and language through place names. This article explores the cultural and linguistic aspects of Kazakh place names in Chinese territory. Specifically, it aims to examine how these names reflect the culture, history, and lifestyle of the Kazakh people, and what role they currently play. Additionally, the study seeks to showcase the national consciousness and cultural uniqueness through the investigation of the toponymic system in the regions inhabited by Kazakhs in China.