Региональная топонимия: общность топонимической системы смоленско-витебского приграничья

Abstract

The issues of studying regional toponymic vocabulary are currently among the priority areas of onomastic research. The particular interest is the consideration of borderland toponymic systems, since the base of toponyms that exist in border zones contain voluminous linguocultural information that reflects the interaction of languages and cultures of neighboring ethnic groups. We analyze a fragment of Smolensk-Vitebsk borderland toponymic system, a territory that historically reflects the commonality of Russian and Belarusian peoples, their languages and cultures. We describe in detail the names of settlements (oikonyms), marked on both sides of the state border. We consider their frequency, distribution by lexico-semantic groups, toponyms etymology, the presence of toponyms in lexicographic sources. Based on a comprehensive analysis of common geographical names, we prove that the commonality of toponymic systems fragment, Russian (Smolensk) and Belarusian (Vitebsk), generated by historical and geographical unity, also testifies to the deep historical commonality of two peoples – Russian and Belarusian, as well as Eastern Slavs in the whole. The material is introduced into scientific circulation for the first time.