The Mongolian Toponymic Layer in Zhetysu: a Historical and Linguistic Analysis

The toponyms of Zhetysu contain a distinct and structurally coherent layer of geographical names of Mongolian origins. This paper investigates the region’s Mongolic toponyms across the three key historical phases: (1) the period of Turkic-Mongolic linguistic convergence, which produced archaic toponymic forms; (2) the Mongol conquest, marked by the introduction of new place names; and (3) the Jungar rule in Zhetysu, which left a lasting imprint on local nomenclature. Given the nearly century-long presence of Oirat tribes in the area, particular attention is devoted to KazakhJungar relations and the linguistic interactions that shaped their contact zone. This study aims to highlight the importance of the Kazakh-Jungar linguistic contact that is crucial for the analysis of the Zhetysu area. The article shows how each historical layer is reflected in the modern toponymic landscape of Zhetysu. The aim of this study is to collect and analyse place names of Mongolian origin that emerged during the three periods mentioned and have survived to the present day. Our aim is an attempt to determine their meanings and the reasons for their emergence. The research highlights that historical developments within these periods contributed to changes in the region’s toponymic corpus. The article employs the comparative-historical method, the reconstruction and the structural method. Methods of word and toponym formation are used as well. Oral tradition and local narratives are incorporated to aid in reconstructing the origins of specific place names. Findings demonstrate that extended contact with Mongolic-speaking populations resulted in the integration and subsequent adaptation of numerous Mongolian toponyms into the Kazakh language. Ultimately, the study assesses the scope and character of the Mongolian toponymic stratum’s influence on Zhetysu’s toponymic system, evaluating its significance within the region’s broader historical and geographical context. The study identified the influence and role of Mongolian place names on the toponymic system of the Zhetysu region.

1. Abdirahmanov, A. (1975) Toponimika zhane jetimologija. Almaty: Gylym, 206 b. [Abdirakhmanov, A. (1975) The Toponyms and Etymology. Almaty: Gylym, 206 p.] (in Kazakh)

2. Alferaki, S. (1891) Kuldzha i Tjan-Shan. Putevye zametki. Sanktpeterburg: tipografija imperatorskoj akademii nauk, 193 s. [Alferaki, S. (1891) Kuldzha and Tien Shan. Travel notes. St. Petersburg: Printing house of the Imperial Academy of Sciences, 193 p.] (in Russian)

3. Bazylhan, B. (1984) Mongolsha-qazaqsha sozdіk. Ulaanbaatar-Olgij: Mongol Halyq Respublikasy Gylym akademijasy Tіl zhane adebiet instituty, 887 b. [Bazylkhan, B. (1984) Mongolian-Kazakh dictionary. Ulaanbaatar-Olgiy: Institute of language and literature of the Academy of Sciences of the Mongolian People's Republic, 887 p.] (in Mongolian and Kazakh)

4. Bijarov, B. (2002) Or Altajdyng zher-su attary. Almaty: Zhanija-poligrafija, 180 b. [Biyarov, B. (2002) Toponyms of the Higher Altai. Almaty: Zhaniya-Poligraphy, 180 p.] (in Kazakh)

5. Clauson, Sir Gerard (1972) An etymological dictionary of pre-thirteenth-century Turkish. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 988 p. (in English)

6. Coloo, Zh. (1988) BNMAU Dax Mongol helnii nutgiin aialguuny toli bichig. II. Oird aialguu. Ulaanbaatar: Ulsyn Hevlelijn Gazar, 961 h. [Tsolo, Zh. (1988) Dictionary of the local dialects of the Mongolian language in the People's Republic of Mongolia. II. Ulaanbaatar: National Publishing House, 961 p.] (in Mongolian)

7. Dadebaev, Zh. (2020) Taraz olkesі: tau men dala angyzdary. Almaty: Dauir, 404 b. [Dadebayev, Zh. (2020) Taraz region: Legends of the mountains and steppes. Almaty: Dauir, 404 p.] (in Kazakh)

8. Janhunen, J. (Ed.). The Mongolic Languages (1st ed.). UK: Routledge, 2003, 464 p. (in English)

9. Jetimologicheskij slovar` mongol`skih jazykov (ESMJA) (2015) Tom І. Red. Sanzheev G.D., Orlovskaja M.N., Shevernina Z.V. Moskva: IV RAN, 224 s. [Etymological dictionary of the Mongolian languages. (2015) Volume I. Ed. Sanzheyev G.D., Orlovskaya M.N., Shevernina Z.V. Moscow: IOS RAS, 224 p.] (in Russian)

10. Kajmuldinova, K.D. (2010) Qazaqstannyng aridtі ajmaqtarynyng toponimijasy. Almaty: «Te-Color» baspasy, 280 b. [Kaimuldinova, K.D. (2010) Toponyms of the arid regions of Kazakhstan. Almaty: «Te-Color» Publishing House, 280 p.] (in Kazakh)

11. Kastane, I.A. (2007) Drevnosti Kirgizskoj stepi i Orenburgskogo kraja. Almaty: Dajk-Press, 511 s. [Castanie, I.A. (2007) Antiquities of the Kirghiz steppe and the Orenburg region. Almaty: Daik-Press, 511 p.] (in Russian)

12. Konkashpaev, G.K. (1959) Geograficheskie nazvanija mongol`skogo proishozhdenija na territorii Kazahstana. Izvestija AN KazSSR Serija filologii i iskusstvovedenija. Vyp. 1(11). [Konkashpayev, G.K. (1959) Geographical names of Mongolian origin on the territory of Kazakhstan. Izvestia of the Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR Series of Philology and Art History. Issue 1(11).] (in Russian)

13. Konkashpaev, G. (1962) Nekotorye maloponjatnye geograficheskie nazvanija v Kazahstane. Sb. «Voprosy geografii Kazahstana». Vyp. 9, S. 242. [Konkashpayev, G. (1962) Some obscure geographical names in Kazakhstan. Collection. “Questions of geography of Kazakhstan”. Issue 9. P. 242.] (in Russian)

14. Mongol xelnii tailbar toli. (MHTT) (2021) 2b. Nemj zasvarlasan gurav dah hevlel. Ulaanbaatar, Monsudar hevlelijn gazar. [MHTT. Dictionary of the Mongolian language. (2021) 2B. Revised third edition. Ulaanbaatar, Monsudar publishing house] (in Mongolian)

15. Mongol xelnii tailbar toli. (MHTT) (2021) 1a. Nemjz zasvarlasan gurav dah hevlel. Ulaanbaatar: Monsudar hevleliin gazar. [Dictionary of the Mongolian language (2021) 1A. Revised third edition. Ulaanbaatar: Monsudar publishing house] (in Mongolian)

16. Poppe, N. (1964) Grammar of Written Mongolian. Second Printing. Wiesbaden: Harrassowits, 1964. 195 p. (in English)

17. Qajdar, A. (2014) Gylymdagy gumyr. Qazaq tіlі jetimologijasynyng gylymi-teorijalyq negіzderі. Almaty: Sardar, 256 b. [Qaidar, A. (2014) Life in the Science. Scientific and theoretical foundations of the kazakh etymology. Almaty: Sardar, 256 p.] (in Kazakh)

18. Qashqari, M. (1998) Turіk tіlіnіng sozdіgі (Diuani lugat-it-turіk). 3 tomdyq shygarmalar zhinagy. Almaty: HANT, 600 b. [Kashkari, M. (1998) Dictionary of the Turkiс language (Diwani lugat-it-Turk). Collection of works in 3 volumes. Almaty: HANT, 600 p.] (in Kazakh)

19. Qazaq tіlіnіng qysqasha jetimologijalyq sozdіgі (QTQES) (1966). Almaty: Gylym, 240 b. [The Short Etymological Dictionary of the Kazakh language (1966) Almaty: Gylym, 240 p.] (in Kazakh)

20. Qazaqtyng kone tarihy (1994) (Dajyndagan M. Qani). Almaty: Zhalyn, 400 b. [Ancient history of the Kazakhs (1994) (prepared by M. Kani). Almaty: Zhalyn, 400 p.] (in Kazakh)

21. Qojshybaev, Ye. (1985) Qazaqstannyng zher-su attary sozdіgі. Almaty: Mektep, 256 b. [Koishybayev, E. (1985) Dictionary of toponyms of Kazakhstan. Almaty: Mektep, 256 p.] (in Kazakh)

22. Sagidoldaqyzy, G. (2000) Turkі (qazaq) zhane monggol halyqtarynyng tarihi-madeni bajlanystarynyng toponimijada bejnelenuі. Almaty: Poligrafist, 254 b. [Sagidoldakyzy, G. (2000) Reflection of Turkic (Kazakh)-Mongolian historicalcultural connections in the toponyms. Almaty. Almaty: Polygrapher, 254 p.] (in Kazakh)

23. Sejfullin, S. (1964) Shygarmalar, 6 tomdyq. VI tom. Qazaq adebietі. Almaty: Zhazushy, 454 b. [Seifullin, S. (1964) Works, 6 volumes. Volume VI. Kazakh literature. Almaty: Zhazushy, 454 p.] (in Kazakh)

24. Suhbaatar, O. (1997) Mongol xelniix xari ugiin tol. Ulaanbaatar: Admon. [Suhbaatar, O. (1997) The Dictionary of Words of Foreign Origins in the Mongolian Language. Ulaanbaatar: Admon.] (in Mongolian)

25. Tauasaruly, Q. (1993) Tup-tuqijannan ozіme shejіn. Almaty: Zhalyn, 1086 b. [Tauasaruly, Q. (1993) From my ancestors to my own. Almaty: Zhalyn, 1086 p.] (in Kazakh)

26. Todaeva, B.H. (2001) Slovar` jazyka ojratov Sinczjana. Jelista, Kalmyckoe knizhnoe izdatel`stvo, 493 s. [Todayeva, B.H. (2001) Dictionary of the Oirat language of Xinjiang. Elista, Kalmyk Book Publishing House, 493 p.] (in Russian)

27. Tоmоrtogoo, D. (2017) Mongol helnih tuuhen aviazuin undes. Ulaanbaatar: Sojombo Printing, 402 h. [Tömörtogoo, D. (2017) Historical phonetic roots of the Mongolian language. Ulaanbaatar: Soyombo Printing, 402 p.] (in Mongolian)

28. Ualiev, N. (1975) Qazaq-mongol tіlderіne ortaq kejbіr sozderdіng magyna sajkestіgі. Qazaq SSR GA Habarlary, tіladebiet serijasy, №2(6). [Ualiyev, N. (1975) Correspondence of the meaning of some words common to the KazakhMongolian languages. Messages of the Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR, language and literature series, No. 2(6)] (in Kazakh)

29. Valihanov, Ch.Ch. (1984) Sobranie sochinenij v pjati tomah. Tom 1. Alma-Ata: Glavnaja redakcija Kazahskoj sovetskoj jenciklopedii, 432 s. [Valikhanov, Ch.Ch. (1984) Collected works in five volumes. Volume 1. Alma-Ata: Main edition of the Kazakh Soviet Encyclopedia, 432 p.] (in Russian)

30. Valihanov, Ch.Ch. (1985) Sobranie sochinenij v pjati tomah. Tom 5. Alma-Ata: Glavnaja redakcija Kazahskoj sovetskoj jenciklopedii, 528 s. [Valikhanov, Ch.Ch. (1985) Collected works in five volumes. Volume 5. Alma-Ata: Main edition of the Kazakh Soviet Encyclopedia, 528 p.] (in Russian)

31. Zhanuzaq, T. (2005) Qazaqstan geografijalyq ataulary. Almaty oblysy. Almaty: Arys, 256 b. [Zhanuzak, T. (2005) Geographical names of Kazakhstan. Almaty region. Almaty: Arys, 256 p.] (in Kazakh)

32. Zhartybaev, A.E. (2009) Ortalyq Qazaqstan ajmaqtyq toponimijasynyng ozektі maselelerі. Almaty: Kie, 240 b. [Zhartybayev, A.E. (2009) Problems of regional toponyms of the central Kazakhstan. Almaty: Kie, 240 p.] (in Kazakh)