D. V. Tsygankin (Saransk, Russia)
Mordvin Settlement Names of the Trans-Volga Region
he settlement names serve as an indispensable background for the research in the history of how Erzya and Moksha Mordvins populated
the Trans-Volga region. As for today, the Trans-Volga region is the
second largest area after the Mordvin Republic inhabited by the Erzya and
the Moksha. According to the census of 1989, in the Samara and Orenburg
provinces they numbered 116,674 and 68,879 respectively. The data in percent figures were:
T
In te Samara province:
Isakly district
Shentala district
Pochvistnevo district
Klyavlino district
23,9%
20,9%
19,8%
19,1%
In the Orenburg province:
Buguruslan district
16,1%
Sever district
12,7%
Abdulin district
7,6%
The formation of settlement names in the Mordvin Trans-Volga region was
mainly conditioned by the close connections of the Erzya and Moksha with
groups of different nationalities. That is exactly the reason why the stems of
Mordvin settlement names derive from different languages in the area examined. In places inhabited by the Erzya and the Moksha, three basic layers of
settlement names can be pointed out with varying degrees of certainty: Finno-Ugric (mainly Mordvin), Turkic and Russian. One of the underlying processes accompanying the formation of settlement names was the interaction
of these layers, as a result of which there emerged a system in which elements dating back to various times and coming from different languages
were intertwined: new items are formed on the basis of Mordvin and Russian lexemes, whereas the old ones had already been functioning well before
the arrival of the immigrants.
The areas they began to diffuse in had been inhabited by Tatars, Chuvashs
and Bashkirs, who spoke different languages and had different types of
economy as well as culture. Apart from this, there were also Russian colonies in the area that the Erzya and the Moksha are supposed to have initially
inhabited. The Russians had either arrived before or came simultaneously
with the Mordvins. This intricate situation also influenced the formation of
the settlement name system. The decisive factor was not only the choice of
words taken from different languages for naming arising Erzya and Moksha
settlements. Some geographical terms that could have been better applied to
natural objects with their specific meanings seem to have played an equally
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D. V. Tsygankin
or even more important role in the process. This, in its turn, left its mark on
all the system of settlement names, which means that a number of Erzya and
Moksha lexemes instrumental to the formation of settlement names in the
Trans-Volga region differ from those which formed the basis of settlement
names in the area where the Mordvin immigrants had formerly spread, either
because some of them had a low frequency of occurrence or because the difference was stipulated by the formation of the settlement name standard.
Geographical terms like Erzya лей, Moksha ляй ’river’, Erzya кужо, Moksha кужа ’clearing’, Moksha пора ’grove’, Erzya пумбра ’natural boundary
between two adjacent areas’, Erzya эрьке, Moksha эрьхке ’lake’ and others,
all of which were basic components of settlement names in areas formerly
inhabited by the Erzya and the Moksha, were not used in settlement names
that had sprung up in the new territory. Settlement names arising here included words unrelated to the Mordvin languages. Some of them are connected with the Turkic languages, whereas others reveal Russian features.
The settlement names of Turkic origin are semantically rather transparent.
To quote a few examples, it will suffice to point out:
Бакалка ~ Алексеевка (Ponom.) < Tatar бакала ’lake with frogs’
Булатовка ~ Буланка (Abd.) < Turkic personal name Булай
Емантеево ~ Емантай веле (Abd.) < Tatar ементай ’big hill’
Зерикла (Abd.), the name derives from the hydronym Ирикла < Turkic
ирик ’bend, winding river-bed’ (MURZAEV 1984: 235)
Камыш-Садак (Abd.) < Tatar personal name Садык
Малый Сурмет (Abd.) < Tatar су ’river’ + урема ’flood-lands of a river
overgrown with leaf-bearing forests’
Новая Тяба (Ch-Versh.) < Turkic тюбя ’top (of head), peak’
Новое Уреметьево (Ch-Versh.) < Turkic арама ’scanty forest overgrowth’
(MURZAEV 1984: 580)
Новый Байтермиш (Isak.) < Turkic personal name Байтермир
Новый Казбулат (Klyavl.) < Turkic personal name Хазбулат
Новые Услы (Ponom.), Новые Узели (Abd.), named after the hydronym
Узала < Turkic ’brook, channel, river-bed’
Старая Бинарадка (Krasn.) < Turkic personal name Бинарий
Старый Маклауш (Klyavl.) < Turkic махла ’settlement, tiny village’
Узюково (Stavr.) < Turkic ’old river-bed’
Below are listed Turkic names without a reference of their internal form (see
in the Spisok): Бугульма, Верхний Курмей, Чигирла, Камышла, Ик (Abd.);
Асабино, Иркуль, Мордовский Бугуруслан, Сабовка, Турханка (Bugur.);
Тимяшево (Ch-Versh.); Аделоидовка, Верхняя Шентала, Карабикулово,
Каргал, Новое Суркино, Семено-Шарла, Тюбек (Klyavl.); Кабельма,
Шилан (Krasn.); Таранки, Шелехметево (Samar.); Верхний Сускан,
Mordvin Settlement Names of the Trans-Volga Region
Пискалы (Stavr.); Аделяково, Асказанка, Верхняя Кармала, Старое
Мансуркино (Stal.).
There are several reasons for the high representation of Turkic names in the
settlement name system of the Mordvin Trans-Volga region. Part of the
Erzya and Moksha that had arrived in the area did not set up new settlements
at first but joined existing Turkic ones, thus making them more populous.
Far-reaching processes of assimilation began almost immediately, subsequently turning these villages either Erzya-speaking or Moksha-speaking
ones. Another group of immigrants into Trans-Volga founded new settlements on banks of streams and rivers that had Turkic lexemes in their
names, which then became settlement names.
As noted above, the settlement name system of the Mordvin Trans-Volga
region consists of heterogeneous components, the Mordvin factor being one
of them. In the official oikonymy of this area Erzya and Moksha linguistic
traces are, however, insignificant and hardly discernible. Those which are
contained in the “Spisok” are basically related to Mordvin pre-Christian personal names, like the following:
Ведяево ~ Ведяй веле (Klyavl.) < personal name Ведяй to be found as a
stem in the surnames Ведяйкин, Ведяев
Кирюшкино ~ Кирюш веле (Bugur.) < personal name Кирюш
Нуйкино ~ Нуя веле (Bugur.) < personal name Нуя
Парадеево ~ Парад веле (Sharl.) < personal name Парадей
Симдянов ~ Симдян (Krasn.) < personal name Симдян
Старое Вечканово ~ Вечкан веле (Isak.) < personal name Вечкан, surviving as a stem in the surnames Вечканов, Вечкаев
Тремасовка ~ Тремаз веле (Krasn.) < personal name Тримас
Юртаево (Sharl.) < personal name Юртай
There are a few recorded Mordvin Trans-Volga oikonyms in whose formation appellatives belonging to the Erzya linguistic world played a role. In
the “Spisok” the following are included:
Большая Левшинка (Bokl.) < большая ’big’, левш ’bast’
Верхние Кузлы (Ponom.) < верхние ’upper’, куз ’fir-tree’
Ега (Stal.) < Proto-Mordvin ёв ’river’
Кувак (Bokl.) < кувака ’long’
Од Эрямо (Bugur.) < од ’new’ + эрямо ’life’
Салолейка (Bokl.) < соламс ’thaw (v.)’ + лей ’river’
Чей Пильге (N-Cherk.) < чей ’sedge’ + пильге ’foot’
Чеменка (Bokl.) < чемень ’rust’
No less important is the other component of the Trans-Volga oikonymy:
Russian. It can be pointed out in numerous oikonyms andconstitutes the
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basic positive characteristic feature of the system of settlement names in the
area studied. The positive aspect follows from the minute reflection of reality, such as that of landscape and relief, etc., in the settlement names. Oikonyms included in the “Spisok” convincingly prove what has been said and
offer an opportunity to sort out the material at our disposal in a logical succession.
1. Topography and hydronymy of the area: Виловатово (Bor.); Ключ, Ровный, Устье (Bokl.); Каменка, Озеровка, Суходол (Bugur.); Ключовка,
Три Ключа, Холодный Родник (Klyavl.); Высок-Колка, Степной
(Koshk.); Верховая, Высокая Грива, Крутогорский, Обрезки, РовноОвражный (Krasn).
2. The location of a settlement in relation to another object: Заозерный,
Подлесная Андреевка (Ch-Versh.); Подлесье (Koshk.); Дальнее Поле,
Мельничный Угол (Krasn.); Верхне-Ягодное, Средне-Ягодное (N-Cherk.);
Завязовка, Нижняя Кармалка, Средняя Алексеевка (Stal.).
3. Flora. There are about 15 varieties of trees and shrubs that are contained
in the names of Mordvin-speaking settlements. The most frequently occurring ones are birch, lime, oak, fir, alder, raspberry, hop and others: Березовка, Вишневая, Дубовая, Ягодная, Малая Береза (Bokl.); Елховый
Ключ, Малиновка, Садовка (Bugur.); Новая Вязовка (Buzul.); Вязовка,
Липовка, Сосновый Овраг (Klyavl.); Елховая Поляна, Липовый, Орешенка, Сосновка, Яблонка (Krasn.); Камышовка (N-Cherk.); Красная Дубровка (Stavr.); Елшанка (Tock.).
4. The size of a settlement: Малое Алпаево (Bokl.); Большая Каменка
(Krasn.); Старое Мансуркино (Stal.).
5. Fauna. Erzya and Moksha settlements named after animals are extremely
rare. What can be referred to here is: Медвежевка (Bokl.); Сорокин Ключ
(Bugur.); Лебяжье Товарищество (Buzul.); Грачевка (Koshk.); Линевой
(Krasn.).
The categories listed above can be called “objective” in the sense that oikonyms derived by their means reflect natural, geographical, topographical and
other feaures that are typical of the Mordvin settlements of the Trans-Volga
region where there is an Erzya and Moksha population.
Anthroponymic settlement names principally from the groups listed above.
Such names can be classified in the following way: 1) the denomination
based on the names and surnames of the first settlers; 2) it is often derived
from a nickname of an inhabitant of the settlement in question; 3) it is underlied by an aboriginal surname, e.g.: Васильевка, Гавриловка, Глаголевка, Михайловка, Новая Егоровка, Петровка, Федоровка (Abd.); Бестужевка, Куликовка, Наумовка, Пашкино, Трифоновка, Фомичевка, Ша-
Mordvin Settlement Names of the Trans-Volga Region
тановка (Bokl.); Астафьевка, Долгоруково, Сенькино (Klyavl.); Александровка, Любовка, Прохоровка, Раевка, Степановка (Koshk.); Васильевский, Владимировский, Георгиевский, Ивановский, Соболевский,
Уловский, Хомутовский (Ponom.); Ивановская, Ромадановка (Stal.).
A special group is made up of oikonyms formed on an ideological basis.
This type can be called social-ideological and acquired a great importance
after the revolution. Such oikonyms are not motivated by any specific features of geographical objects and are symbolic or dedicational in character:
Ильич, Искра ’spark’, Новый Свет ’new world’ (Abd.); Знаменка ’flag’,
Идеал, Красный Колос ’red ear of corn’, Прогресс, Секретарка ’secretary (fem.)’, Труженик ’worker’ (Bokl.); Красный Флаг ’red flag’, Пожарная Борьба ’fight against fire’, Путь Просвещения ’way of enlightenment’, Спутник ’companion’ (Buzul.); Аврора ’aurora’, Красный Инвалид
’red invalid’, Маркс, Молот ’hammer’, Путиловец ’worker of the Putilov
factory in St. Petersburg’ (Koshk.); Пахарь ’ploughman’, Путник ’traveller’, Земледелец ’farmer’ (Krasn.); Активная ’active (fem.)’, Красный
Маяк ’red lighthouse’, Светлый Путь ’bright way’ (N-Cherk.); Культура
’culture’, Труд и Братство ’work and fraternity’ (Samar.); Восток ’east’,
Красная Береза ’red birch’, Пролетарий ’proletarian’ (Ch-Versh.) and
others. In all these names, their creators’ free initiative, aesthetic tastes and
demands are embodied.
A number of the names listed above are not to be found in the present-day
maps of the Samara and Orenburg provinces, for the settlements they referred to have disappeared. The figures in “Spisok” show that 156 of the 244
Mordvin settlements in the Trans-Volga region were of the “поселок” type,
which was the most widespread in the 30s. The oikonymy of the Mordvin
Trans-Volga region has several imported names, too. These are the milestones by which former migrations of the Erzya and the Moksha can be
judged. Imported settlement names, attesting to migrations within the area as
well as between provinces, can be found in various parts of the area studied.
For example, the oikonym Кабаево, mentioned in the “Список населенных
мест Симбирской губернии” (1863) [List of Inhabited Locations of the
Simbirsk Province], was imported by the migrating Erzya into the TransVolga region from the settlement bearing the same name in the Dubenskij
district of the Mordvin Republic. The settlement name Boľshije Remezenki,
redorded in the “Список населенных мест Пензенской губернии” (1869)
[List of Inhabited Locations of the Penza Province], was imported into the
Toickij district of the Orenburg province and registered in the “Spisok”.
Now it is the name of the Erzya-Russian village Большие Ремезенки. The
oikonym Парадеево was imported from the former Ardatov district to the
Sharlyk district of the Orenburg province; in the Mordvin Republic, this
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name is given to a village in the Ichalkovo district. The oikonym Темяшево,
registered in the former Lukoyanov district, can now be found in the
Chelno-vershiny district (Тимяшево); there is also a village by that name in
the Staroshajgovo district of Mordvinland.
There are several oikonyms reflecting the internal migration of the Erzya
and the Moksha within certain districts of the Mordvin Trans-Volga region.
These typically carry the first element Малое ’small’ and Новое ’new’. The
locations that took such names were, as a rule, situated in the neighbourhood
of the settlement with the primary name (Малое next to Большое ’big’,
Новое next to Старое ’old’): Большой Сурмет – Малый Сурмет; Старая Тепловка – Новая Тепловка; Старое Суркино – Новое Суркино and
others. The attributes Малое and Новое, however, are not connected with
Большое and Старое in each case, e.g.: Новое Вечканово and Вечканово
(Klyavl.); Старая Шентала and Шентала (Koshk.).
Word formation models used for creating new settlement names are various:
1) Toponymization of appellatives, i.e., their reinterpretation in a way that
one and the same word carries two meanings, an appellative one and an oikonymic one: нива ’(ploughed) field’ and Нива (oikonym Abd.); долина ’valley’ and Долина (oikonym Buz.), etc.
2) Suffixation. The spectre of oikonymic suffixes is not too varied: in noun
oikonyms -овка/-евка, is the most frequently used one, whereas -ск is taken
mostly by adjectives: Екатериновка, Молчановка (Bokl.); Бухаревский,
Радаевский (Bugur.) and others.
3) Substantivization of adjectives: Горный, Родной (Andr.); Луговой, Ямской (Bokl.), etc.
4) Compounded abbreviations: Красногорка, Самопомощь (N-Cherk.); Райгород (Koshk.) and others.
5) Word combinations: Дектярный Раг, Каменный Ключ, Мельничный
Угол (Krasn.); Нижнее Матюшкино (Stavr.); Путь Просвещения
(Buzul.), etc.
It should be noted in conclusion that the settlement names of the Mordvin
Trans-Volga region exist in a Russian phonetic and graphemic envelope. At
the same time, no Erzya of Moksha village is restricted to a Russian form
only on the level of expression. Russian oikonyms do have objectively existing Mordvin counterparts in their national forms. Their catalogueing is one
of the most important and topical issues of Mordvin toponymic studies.
Mordvin Settlement Names of the Trans-Volga Region
Abbreviations
Abd.
Andr.
Bokl.
Bor.
Bugur.
Buzul.
Ch-Versh.
Isak.
Klyavl.
Koshk.
Krasn.
N-Cherk.
Ponom.
Samar.
Sharl.
Stal.
Stavr.
Tock.
Абдулинский район
Андреевский район
Боклинский район
Борский район
Бугурусланский район
Бузулукский район
Челны-Вершинский район
Исаклинский район
Клявлинский район
Кошкинский район
Красноярский район
Ново-Черкасский район
Пономаревский район
Самарский район
Шарлыкский район
Сталинский район
Ставропольский район
Тоцкий район
References
Mordva (1944) = Мордва Заволжья. Саранск.
MURZAEV, E. M. (1984)  Мурзаев, Э. М. Словарь народных географических терминов. Москва.
Spisok (1931) = Список населенных пунктов Средне-Волжского края.
Самара.
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