Ethnos with Turkish Ancestry in the Toponymic Background of the Territory of Azerbaijan

Abstract

Objective: Research shows that parallel toponyms exist in different types of toponymy, including oikonymy, oronymy, and hydronymy. Comparative analysis of parallel toponyms reveals that the people's ethnic origin, household, economic activity, and other areas are reflected here. Agriculture, cattle breeding, primarily sheep and horse breeding, crafts, and other fields had a special place in the life of the Turkic peoples. The mentioned economic fields are also of some importance in the toponymy of Azerbaijan. The large number of toponymic parallels of Azerbaijan and other Turkic-speaking countries once again proves the settlement of Turkic-speaking peoples in these areas since ancient times. Method: Every event or object can be studied from a certain point of view, which reflects the ultimate task of cognition. In the research process, certain concepts were clarified by using analysis and synthesis methods. Results: Examining the dictionary of geographical names of Turkic-speaking countries, information books, maps, and other materials shows that the toponyms of the countries of the Turkic world correspond to each other according to their linguistic affiliation, origin, and meaning. It is known that each of the Turkic peoples has its own ethnic name and language. Conclusions: Examining the residing areas of Turkic-speaking peoples elucidates that unlike peoples of Indo-European origin who settled in different continents, Turks live in the areas where they historically lived. These areas mainly cover a large extent, including some parts of the Asian continent, southeastern Europe, the northern part of the Caucasus, the South Caucasus, and South Azerbaijan. The units involved in the processes of the generation of names in the Azerbaijani system of toponyms are different, and this difference is clearly manifested. Toponyms are created gradually and in a consistent manner. When giving a geographic name to any object, all aspects of the language to which the name belongs are carefully contemplated. In this case, when conducting research on the origin of a toponym, it becomes easier and more reliable to find out to which language the object belongs. Research conducted for many years shows that most toponyms in the region, as well as paleotoponyms, are of ancient Turkish-Azerbaijani origin. These geographical names occupy a vital place in the toponymic stratification of Azerbaijan.