Landscape Foundations of Hydronym Formation in Turkic Languages

The article comprehensively examines the landscape foundations underlying the formation of hydronymic names in Turkic languages (Kazakh and Bashkir languages). It is argued that the physical and geographical characteristics of the territories historically inhabited by Turkic peoples (relief, climatic conditions, hydrological systems, and ecological features) have directly influenced the semantic structure and motivational mechanisms of water body names. In this regard, the lexical-semantic nature, morphological models, and naming principles of hydronyms such as rivers, lakes, springs, seas, and water sources are analyzed. The study identifies the function of ancient Turkic geographical terms and spatial concepts preserved within hydronyms and explores their historical-comparative and etymological foundations. The correlation between common hydronymic models across Turkic languages and regional variability is determined, revealing similarities and differences shaped by linguistic and extralinguistic factors. Furthermore, the paper analyzes how landscape dominants (flow characteristics, color, depth, taste, seasonal variation, and surrounding relief) function as motivational features in the formation of hydronyms. It substantiates that traditional worldview, economic and cultural practices, mythological consciousness, and sacral perceptions of Turkic peoples are reflected in water names. Thus, hydronyms are characterized not merely as geographical identifiers but as onomastic units encoding historical and cultural information. The article also defines the place of the hydronymic system within the broader onomastic space, highlighting its ethnocultural content and its role in preserving historical memory. The relationship between water names and landscape is examined from cognitive and semiotic perspectives. The findings contribute theoretically and methodologically to research in Turkic onomastics, historical lexicology, and ethnolinguistics.

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