Local Ethnonyms of the Eastern Khanty and the Problem of Selkup Population Presence in The Surgut Ob Region
DOI: 10.23951/2307-6119-2026-3-138-150
This paper examines the ethnic affiliation of the population in the Surgut Ob region during the preRussian period. Data on local ethnonymy among the Ob Ugrians were collected from Khanty and Mansi representatives of ethno-local groups, and active ethnonymic models were identified. The findings show that the Eastern and Northern Khanty use distinct models of ethnonymy formation in their local dialects. Additionally, all Mansi groups have their own model, which differs from the Khanty variants. An important conclusion from the analysis is the identification of the generalizing ethnonym Sŏr ⱪunәl yăvәn yăkh, characteristic of the Surgut (Eastern) Khanty groups of Tromagan, Agan, Pim, Lyamin, and Yugan, as well as the absence of such generalizing ethnonyms in the Khanty language for all Northern Khanty groups. The structure and semantics of the ethnonym Sŏr ⱪunәl yăvәn yăkh provide a new perspective on the ethnic composition of the population in the areas surrounding Surgut. The lack of a clear translation for the first two words of this complex phrase in Khanty dialects prompts consideration of data from other Uralic languages (not only Ugric but also Samoyedic), particularly the Selkup language. A two-component composition was identified. The article also presents materials from Russian written historical documents (1593–1595) (royal decrees and charters), which include instructions about the construction of the Russian fortress on the Ob River, its name, and references to the local population. Analysis of historical, toponymic, and ethnonymic data suggests the possible presence of a Selkup (Selkup-speaking) population in the Ob region, where the Russian city of Surgut was founded in 1594. The paper also presents data from a historiographical analysis of the Selkup presence in the Surgut Ob region, based on the works of 20thcentury ethnographers and historians.
Keywords: Surgut Ob region, Eastern and Northern Khanty, Surgut Khanty, Surgut Selkups, ethnonymy, identity, ethnonymic model
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Issue: 3, 2026
Series of issue: Issue 3
Rubric: ANTHROPOLOGY
Pages: 138 — 150
Downloads: 22