Names of Orographic Objects in Yakut Language: A Comparative-Historical Aspect
DOI: 10.23951/2307-6119-2026-2-73-85
This paper examines the orographic vocabulary of the Yakut language that conveys the core meaning of “elevated landform, height.” The study provides a lexicographic description and analysis of the names of orographic objects in the Yakut language and its dialects from comparative and comparative-historical perspectives. The corpus comprises entries from Yakut lexicographic, dialectological, and toponymic dictionaries, supplemented by field data collected during expeditions to the central regions of Yakutia since 2021. The research uses continuous sampling, descriptive, comparative, and comparative-historical methods. For cross-linguistic comparison, cognates and borrowings were identified in Turkic, Mongolic, and Tungusic-Manchu languages. Lexicalsemantic and word-formation analyses, supported by etymological assessment, reveal the origin of each term. Etymological data from the works of prominent linguists and typologists were used as sources. The 56 lexemes identified were classified according to the semantic features motivating their nomination: 1) size; 2) shape; 3) soil characteristics; 4) presence or absence of vegetation; 5) location. Observations of the distribution area of orographic units showed that the vocabulary of general distribution accounts for about 61% of the total corpus, while 39% of lexemes have limited territorial distribution. The study identifies lexical units derived from somatic and everyday vocabulary, as well as formations resulting from the substantivization of adjectives. Overall, the lexical-semantic group of orographic vocabulary in the Yakut language comprises three main strata: inherited Turkic roots and borrowings from Mongolic and Tungusic-Manchu.
Keywords: Yakut (Sakha) language, Turkic languages, Mongolic languages, Tungusic-Manchu languages, lexicology, orographic vocabulary, landform nomenclature, elevation
References:
1. Danilova N.I., Popova N.I. Landshaftnaya leksika v yakutskom yazyke [Landscape vocabulary in the Yakut language]. Severo-Vostochnyy gumanitarnyy vestnik – North-Eastern Journal of Humanities, 2021, no. 4 (37), pp. 65–76 (in Russian).
2. Tenishev E.R. (ed.). Sravnitel’no-istoricheskaya grammatika tyurkskikh yazykov. Leksika [Comparative-historical grammar of the Turkic languages. Lexis]. 2nd ed., rev. and enl. Moscow, Nauka Publ., 2001. 822 p. (in Russian).
3. Antonov N.K. Materialy po istoricheskoy leksike yakutskogo yazyka [Materials on the historical vocabulary of the Yakut language]. Yakutsk, 1971. 176 p. (in Russian).
4. Starostina Ya.E. Semanticheskie osobennosti leksiki gornogo landshafta yakutskogo yazyka [Semantic features of the vocabulary of the mountain landscape in the Yakut language]. Vestnik Severo-Vostochnogo federal’nogo universiteta im. M.K. Ammosova – Vestnik of North-Eastern Federal University, 2019, no. 2 (70), pp. 112–121 (in Russian).
5. Struchkova Ya.V. Yakutskie somatizmy, oboznachayushchie elementy vozvyshennogo rel’efa (v sravnenii s drugimi tyurkskimi yazykami) [Yakut somatisms denoting elements of elevated relief (in comparison with other Turkic languages)]. Vestnik Severo-Vostochnogo federal’nogo universiteta im. M.K. Ammosova – Vestnik of North-Eastern Federal University, 2023, no. 2, pp. 87–98 (in Russian).
6. Monastyrev V.D. Oronimicheskaya terminologiya v toponimii Tsentral’noy Yakutii [Oronymic terminology in the toponymy of Central Yakutia]. Tyurkskie i severnye yazyki: materialy nauchno-prakticheskoy konferentsii, posvyashchennoy 100-letiyu so dnya rozhdeniya Luki Nikiforovicha Kharitonova [Turkic and Northern languages: materials of the scientific-practical conference dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of Luka Nikiforovich Kharitonov]. Yakutsk, 2002. Pp. 202–212 (in Russian).
7. Bagdaryyn N’.S. uola. Geograficheskaya nomenklaturnaya leksika v toponimii severo-zapada Respubliki Sakha [Geographical nomenclatural vocabulary in the toponymy of the north-west of the Republic of Sakha]. Uralo-altayskie issledovaniya – Ural-Altaic Studies, 2018, no. 4 (31), pp. 79–94 (in Russian).
8. Ivanov S.A. Leksicheskie osobennosti govorov yakutskogo yazyka [Lexical features of the dialects of the Yakut language]. Novosibirsk, Nauka Publ., 2017. 392 p. (in Russian).
9. Shamaeva A.E. Mongol’skie paralleli dialektnoy leksiki yakutskogo yazyka: avtoref. dis. … kand. filol. nauk [Mongolian parallels of the dialect vocabulary of the Yakut language: abstract of thesis cand. of philol. sci.]. Yakutsk, 2012. 22 p. (in Russian).
10. Musaev K.M. Leksikologiya tyurkskikh yazykov [Lexicology of the Turkic languages]. Moscow, Nauka Publ., 1984. 226 p. (in Russian).
11. Pekarskiy E.K. Slovar’ yakutskogo yazyka: v 3 t. [Dictionary of the Yakut language: in 3 vol.]. 2nd ed. Leningrad, Izd-vo AN SSSR Publ., 1959. Vol. I. 1200 col.; Vol. II. 2010 col.; Vol. III. 3858 col. (in Russian).
12. Sleptsov P.A. (ed.) Yakutsko-russkiy slovar’ [Yakut-Russian dictionary]. Moscow, Sovetskaya entsiklopediya Publ., 1972. 606 p. (in Russian).
13. Sleptsov P.A. (ed.) Tolkovyy slovar’ yakutskogo yazyka: v 15 t. [Explanatory dictionary of the Yakut language: in 15 vol.]. Novosibirsk, Nauka Publ., 2004. Vol. I. 680 p.; 2005. Vol. II. 912 p.; 2006. Vol. III. 841 p. (in Russian).
14. Sleptsov P.A. (ed.) Bol’shoy tolkovyy slovar’ yakutskogo yazyka: v 15 t. [Great explanatory dictionary of the Yakut language: in 15 vol.]. Novosibirsk, Nauka Publ., 2008. Vol. V. 616 p.; 2009. Vol. VI. 519 p.; 2010. Vol. VII. 519 p.; 2012. Vol. IX. 630 p.; 2013. Vol. X. 575 p.; 2014. Vol. XI. 528 p.; 2016. Vol. XIII. 639 p.; 2017. Vol. XIV. 592 p. (in Russian).
15. Afanas’ev P.S., Voronkin P.S., Alekseev M.P. (comps.). Dialektologicheskiy slovar’ yakutskogo yazyka [Dialectological dictionary of the Yakut language]. Moscow, Nauka Publ., 1976. 392 p. (in Russian).
16. Voronkin M.S., Alekseev M.P., Vasil’ev Yu.I. (comps.). Dialektologicheskiy slovar’ yazyka sakha [Dialectological dictionary of the Sakha language]. Novosibirsk, Nauka Publ., 1995. 295 p. (in Russian).
17. Bagdaryyn Sülbe. Slovar’ toponimnoy leksiki Respubliki Sakha. Mestnye geograficheskie terminy i ponyatiya [Dictionary of toponymic vocabulary of the Republic of Sakha. Local geographical terms and concepts]. Yakutsk, 2019. 324 p. (in Russian).
18. Nadelyaev V.M. (ed.). Drevnetyurkskiy slovar’ [Ancient Turkic dictionary]. Leningrad, 1969. 677 p. (in Russian).
19. Sanzheev G.D. (ed.). Etimologicheskiy slovar’ mongol’skikh yazykov: v 3 t. [Etymological dictionary of the Mongolian languages: in 3 vol.]. Moscow, IV RAN Publ., 2015. Vol. I. 223 p.; 2016. Vol. II. 232 p.; 2018. Vol. III. 240 p. (in Russian).
20. Tsintsius V.I. (ed.). Sravnitel’nyy slovar’ tunguso-man’chzhurskikh yazykov: v 2 t. [Comparative dictionary of the Tungus-Manchu languages: in 2 vol.]. Leningrad, Nauka Publ., 1975. Vol. I. 672 p.; 1977. Vol. II. 471 p. (in Russian).
21. Molchanova O.T. Entsiklopediya nazvaniy mest Gornogo Altaya [Encyclopedia of place names of Gorny Altai]. Shchentsin, Daniel Krzanowski Publ., 2018. 598 p. (in Russian).
22. Pyurbeev G.Ts. (ed.). Bol’shoy akademicheskiy mongol’sko-russkiy slovar’: v 4 t. [Large academic Mongolian-Russian dictionary: in 4 vol.]. Moscow, Academia Publ., 2001–2002. 1901 p. (in Russian).
23. Shagdarov L.D., Cheremisov K.M. (comps.). Buryatsko-russkiy slovar’: v 2 t. [Buryat-Russian dictionary: in 2 vol.]. Ulan-Ude, 2006. 636 p. (in Russian).
24. Muniev B.D. (ed.). Kalmytsko-russkiy slovar’ [Kalmyk-Russian dictionary]. Moscow, Russkiy yazyk Publ., 1977. 765 p. (in Russian).
25. Kowalewski J.E. Dictionnaire mongol-russe-français [Mongolian-Russian-French dictionary]. Kasan, Imprimerie de l’Université, 1849. 2690 p.
26. Romanova A.V., Myreeva A.N., Barashkov P.P. Vzaimovliyanie evenkiyskogo i yakutskogo yazykov [Mutual influence of the Evenk and Yakut languages]. Leningrad, Nauka Publ., 1975. 212 p. (in Russian).
27. Dmitrieva L.V. Etimologii geograficheskikh appellativov v tyurkskikh i drugikh altayskikh yazykakh [Etymologies of geographical appellatives in Turkic and other Altaic languages]. Altayskie etimologii: sbornik nauchnykh trudov [Altaic etymologies: collection of scientific papers]. Leningrad, Nauka Publ., 1984. Pp. 130–177 (in Russian).
28. Blagova G.F. (ed.). Etimologicheskiy slovar’ tyurkskikh yazykov. Obshchetyurkskie i mezhtyurkskie osnovy na bukvy «K», «Қ» [Etymological dictionary of the Turkic languages. Common Turkic and inter-Turkic bases on the letters «K», «Қ»]. Moscow, Nauka Publ., 1997. 368 p. (in Russian).
29. Starostin S.A., Dybo A.V., Mudrak O.A. An Etymological Dictionary of Altaic Languages. Leiden, 2003. 1556 p.
30. Rassadin V.I. Leksika nezhivoy prirody v sostave tyurko-mongol’skoy yazykovoy obshchnosti [Vocabulary of inanimate nature in the Turkic-Mongolian linguistic community]. Uralo-altayskie issledovaniya – Ural-Altaic Studies, 2015, no. 4 (19), pp. 81–92 (in Russian).
31. Chumakaev A.E. (ed.). Altaysko-russkiy slovar’ [Altai-Russian dictionary]. Gorno-Altaysk, 2018. 936 p. (in Russian).
32. Tenishev E.R. (comp.). Tuvinsko-russkiy slovar’ [Tuvan-Russian dictionary]. Moscow, Samizdat Publ., 1968. 646 p. (in Russian).
33. Subrakova O.V. (ed.). Khakassko-russkiy slovar’ [Khakas-Russian dictionary]. Novosibirsk, Nauka Publ., 2006. 1115 p. (in Russian).
34. Kurpeshko-Tannagasheva N.N., Apon’kin F.Ya. (comps.). Shorsko-russkiy i russko-shorskiy slovar’ [Shor-Russian and Russian-Shor dictionary]. Kemerovo, 1993. 149 p. (in Russian).
35. Murzaev E.M. Slovar’ narodnykh geograficheskikh terminov [Dictionary of folk geographical terms]. Moscow, Mysl’ Publ., 1984. 656 p. (in Russian).
36. Ivanov N.M. Mongolizmy v toponimii Yakutii [Mongolisms in the toponymy of Yakutia]. Yakutsk, 2001. 204 p. (in Russian).
37. Yudakhin K.K. (comp.). Kirgizsko-russkiy slovar’: v 2 kn. [Kyrgyz-Russian dictionary: in 2 books]. Frunze, 1985. 475 p. (in Russian).
38. Rassadin V.I. Mongolo-buryatskie zaimstvovaniya v sibirskikh tyurkskikh yazykakh [Mongol-Buryat borrowings in Siberian Turkic languages]. Moscow, Nauka Publ., 1980. 116 p. (in Russian).
39. Popov G.V. Slova “neizvestnogo proiskhozhdeniya” yakutskogo yazyka (sravnitel’no-istoricheskoe issledovanie) [Words of “unknown origin” in the Yakut language (comparative-historical study)]. Yakutsk, 1986. 148 p. (in Russian).
40. Levitskaya L.S. (ed.). Etimologicheskiy slovar’ tyurkskikh yazykov. Obshchetyurkskie i mezhtyurkskie osnovy na bukvy «Җ», «Ж», «Й» [Etymological dictionary of the Turkic languages. Common Turkic and inter-Turkic bases on the letters «Җ», «Ж», «Й»]. Moscow, Nauka Publ., 1989. 292 p. (in Russian).
( 581 kB ) 
( 573.56 kB )
Issue: 2, 2026
Series of issue: Issue 2
Rubric: LINGUISTICS
Pages: 73 — 85
Downloads: 340