Abstract
The author suggests new etymologies for two well-known Old Russian proper names. The god name of Simarĭglŭ/Semarĭglŭ is loaned from East Iranic (Scytho-Sarmatian) of the Alanic Caucasian period and corresponds to Ossetic xī/xe ‘oneself’ and maræg ‘murderer; killing’, xemaræg ‘suicide (person)’ and the Russian participle suffix -l-. The motive of god’s suicide is extended in mythology, including the Nart epic. The ethnonym Khinova mentioned in “The Tale of Igor’s campaign“ is of Baltic origin and comes from IE *skū-n- ‘asylum, shelter; shield, etc.’ and the suffix -ava/-uva, very frequent in the Baltic ethnonymics.
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