Linguoculturological aspect of studying Turkic toponyms of Crimea

Abstract

The object of this research is the Turkic toponymic units of the Crimean Region. The subject of this research is the Crimean Tatar toponymic lexicon in the linguocultural aspect. The article examines the Turkic (Crimean Tatar) toponymic system as a fragment of the linguistic worldview of its native speakers. The need is underlined for comprehensive characteristics of geographical denominations of the Crimean Peninsula, with consideration of linguoculturological components as a full-fledged element. The goal consists in description of the Turkic toponymic units of Crimean Region as a phenomenon generated by the culture of Crimean Tatars. It is determined that the semantic of Turkic toponyms is motivated by different associations related to images of the animals and their habitat, plants, historical events and legends that defined names of the objects, etc. There also nomens with unmotivated semantics, permitting variable semantization. As a result of analysis, the examined in linguoculturological aspect toponyms of Crimea of Turkic origin are classified by most significant thematic groups. The Crimean Tatar toponymic lexicon is viewed from linguoculturological perspective for the first time, which defines the scientific novelty of the research. The following conclusions were made: geographical denominations of Crimea are the cultural artifact of Crimean Tatars, reflecting the historical stages of their settlement, ancient migrations and interethnic contacts, economic activity. Political and social transformations, geographical specificities, location, territorial traditions, including those that no longer exist.  The geographical nominations, alongside the instances of creation of toponyms based on external resemblance of geographical object with the realities surrounded Crimean Tatars (color, form), also used cultural and mental associative principles of nomination. This is why the terms included religious, somatic, legend-based, and other components.