What science studies the origins of geographical names? Every person can easily list hundreds of geographical objects related to their place of residence: villages, cities, rivers. When studying the past, their names can tell us a lot. Try to find out why this area or river is called one way and not another. You will surely hear interesting stories. Scientists have long established that due to their stability, geographical names serve as ancient monuments that allow us to penetrate the depths of human history, culture, and language. Many geographical names tell about the tribes and peoples that created them. Sometimes, geographical names can help define the territorial boundaries of various ethnic groups; they also provide interesting materials about the nature of the area, vegetation in the distant past, or the original occupations of the population. Geographical names help uncover foreign language elements in a given language. Thus, geographical names are valuable material for history, ethnography, archaeology, and botany. There is a special science called toponymy (from the Greek words “topos” — place and “onima” — name), which studies geographical names — their origins, meanings, and many other aspects.
City Names - Living Testimony of History. Have you ever been interested in the history of your city? What is the origin of its name? When was it named that way? The search for answers to these questions begins the study of your city's history. Let's take a journey into the history of the names of some major cities in our republic.
Among the mountain gorges of Kyrgyzstan lies the city of Naryn — the administrative center of the Naryn region. The city is named after the Naryn River, on the banks of which it is located. The Naryn River has been mentioned in history under various names. For example, ancient Greek and Roman authors referred to it as Silik. In the 7th-8th centuries, the Turks called it Ienchu-Uguz (“emerald river”), the Chinese called it Yosha, and Arab and Persian authors referred to it as Khatlam. Since the late 13th century, during the time of Mongol rule, the river became known by the names Narin, Naryn, Narinkol. The epic “Manas” also mentions the Naryn River.
What does the word “naryn” mean? According to some scholars, it comes from the Mongolian word “nariyi,” which means “narrow,” “tight.” Additionally, it is known that this word was the name of one of the Mongolian clans. Indeed, the Naryn River mostly flows through narrow and tight mountain gorges, which may explain the river's name. On the other hand, it is also plausible that one of the Mongolian clans that settled on the riverbank named it, and this name later transferred to the future city.
In the mid-19th century, during the Kokand Khanate, a fortress was built here, and by the end of the 19th century, a settlement emerged. In 1927, Naryn became a city.
The City of Osh — the oldest city in Kyrgyzstan, it is 3000 years old, yet there is still no definitive clarity regarding the origin of its name. Legends link its foundation to the great commander, the king of ancient Macedonia, Alexander the Great, and even to the prophet Solomon. According to legend, in ancient times, the prophet Solomon was plowing the land with oxen. Suddenly, the oxen stopped, and Solomon shouted to them: “Osh!” But when he looked up, he saw that the yoke had come to a stop at a rocky mountain. This mountain was later named Suleiman-Too (Solomon's Mountain), and the surrounding area was called Osh. Mentions of the city of Osh appear in written sources from the 9th-10th centuries. According to the information contained in them, Osh was the third largest city in the Fergana Valley. Interestingly, Osh, whose history is rich with interesting events, has retained its ancient name unchanged through the centuries.
In the territory of the republic's capital — the city of Bishkek, archaeologists have found artifacts dating back to the second millennium BC. The findings indicate that people have lived in this area since ancient times. Bishkek became the name of the settlement in the late 18th century in memory of the Kyrgyz hero named Bishkek. A burial mausoleum — a kubiz was erected here. In 1825, the Kokand rulers built a fortress on its site, named Bishkek Fortress. The settlement that grew around the fortress was initially called Bishkek, but later, when it came under the rule of the Russian Empire, the name was distorted: the settlement began to be called Pishpek. In 1878, Pishpek was granted city status. In 1926, the city was named after M.V. Frunze — a prominent Soviet military leader and statesman born in Pishpek. In 1991, the city was returned to its historical name — Bishkek.
The word “bishkek” literally translates to Russian as “whisk” — an item used for stirring kumys, the favorite drink of the Kyrgyz.
Thus, the history of the origin of the name of a village, settlement, or city is an inseparable part of the history of the emergence and development of the very locality.
What do the names of natural objects tell us? Alongside the names of villages and cities, specific historical evidence can also be found in the names of rivers, lakes, mountains, forests, and other natural objects surrounding us.
Issyk-Kul — one of the largest lakes in the world. In ancient Turkic, the word “yssyk” means “hot,” “warm,” and it also carries the meaning of “sacred,” “wonderful,” “respected,” “sacrificial.” The word “kul” — (correctly not “kul,” but “köl”) meant “lake.” The Kyrgyz (Turkic) name of the lake indicates that Turkic peoples have lived on the shores of Issyk-Kul since ancient times.
Chu — a river that gave its name to the valley through which it flows. The word appears in ancient Chinese written sources, as well as in the works of Arab and Persian travelers from the 9th to 11th centuries, and means “water, watercourse.” According to some sources, the area and river received their name from the Turkic tribe Chuy, which is mentioned in ancient Turkic written monuments. The existence of a similarly named area in Altai supports this version.
Arstanbap — the name of unique walnut-fruit forests in the Jalal-Abad region. The origin of the name of the area is linked to the name of a sage named Arstan-baba who lived in the Middle Ages. The Kyrgyz consider Arstanbap a sacred place. Until the mid-19th century, outstanding individuals and national heroes were buried in Arstanbap. Here are the largest walnut forests in the world. At one time, Alexander the Great, upon first seeing walnuts, was amazed by their taste and nutritional value. The walnuts he took from here later became known worldwide as “walnuts.”
Often, the uniqueness of the character of the area and its natural features are directly reflected in geographical names. For example, the names Kyzyl-Suu (red water), Ak-Kiya (white rock), Tash-Komur (coal), Maiyloo-Suu (oily water), Ak-Say (white channel or hollow), Ak-Suu (white (clean) water), Ak-Talaa (white valley), Jet-Oguz (seven bulls), Kumtor (sand hill), Sary-Bulak (yellow spring) are directly related to the characteristics of their appearance, shape, and other distinguishing qualities.
Names of People in Geographical Names. Until the 19th century, the Kyrgyz rarely named settlements and natural objects after people. Only a few are known, primarily associated with the names of national heroes and prominent figures: Manas-Ata, Arstan-baba, Babash-Ata, Dolon-biy, Gylyna-Ene, the hero Bishkek. Starting from the second half of the 19th century, after Kyrgyzstan was annexed to Russia, many settlements and geographical objects began to be named after Russian emperors, royal ministers, generals, travelers, etc. To this day, one can find village names in Kyrgyzstan — Petrovka, Novopavlovka, Alexeyevka, Alexandrovka, Romanovka, and others, named in the late 19th to early 20th centuries in honor of Russian emperors. The center of the Issyk-Kul region, the city of Karakol — from 1889 to 1921 and from 1939 to 1991 bore the name of the Russian traveler N.M. Przhevalsky; one of the mountain peaks is named after the governor-general of Turkestan Kaufman, who led the conquest of Central Asia. Many geographical names from that period reflect the characteristics of that historical period — the colonial nature of the tsarist autocracy's policy towards Kyrgyzstan.
After the overthrow of tsarism and the establishment of Soviet power, the process of renaming began. Now streets, villages, cities, etc., were named after party and Soviet leaders — Lenin, Stalin, Kalinin, Voroshilov, and others. The names of Kyrgyzstani heroes who showed heroism during the Civil War and the Great Patriotic War are immortalized in the names of places. For example, the villages of Sidorov and Sagyndyk in the Kara-Kulja district are named in memory of Red Army soldiers who died in battles with the Basmachi. Villages named after the heroes of the Great Patriotic War include Taygaraev in the Kara-Suu district, Konkino on Issyk-Kul, the city of Shopokov in Chui, and the village of Cholponbay in the Talas region.
The tradition of naming settlements and geographical objects after outstanding historical figures who made significant contributions to the development of the Kyrgyz Republic continued even after Kyrgyzstan gained independence. The memory of historical figures from the past who lived in the 18th-19th centuries is immortalized in the names of some settlements: Ormon-khan, Kurmandzhan Datka, Shabdan Batyr, Baytik Batyr, and others. On one hand, this is a tribute of respect from descendants to their outstanding ancestors. However, on the other hand, it may lead to the disappearance of original historical names of settlements or geographical objects.
Popular Legends about the Origin of Geographical Names. Many Kyrgyz legends tell of the origins of various geographical names. In southern Kyrgyzstan, there is the mountain Altyn-Beshik (Golden Cradle). A legend explains the origin of its name. In the 14th century, when the ruler of Fergana, Babur, was fleeing from enemies, he left his newborn son in a golden cradle in the mountains, fearing that the child would perish on the way. Babur hoped that people would find the child and save him from death. And so it happened. The locals found the boy, named him Altyn-Beshik, and began to take care of him. Since then, the mountain has been called Altyn-Beshik.
On the eastern shore of Issyk-Kul, there is a place called San-Tash (from the words “to count” and “stone”), known for two stone mounds. The origin of the name is linked to a folk tale. Emir Timur, on his way to conquer Eastern Turkestan, stopped here with his army. Before setting off, Emir Timur commanded each warrior to take a stone and throw it in a designated place. A huge stone mound was formed. Upon returning from the campaign, Timur again commanded the warriors to take a stone and throw it next to the first mound. A new mound was formed, but it was already half the size of the first. Emir Timur was saddened to see how many warriors had fallen in battles. Over time, the people began to call this place San-Tash (counted stones).
There are many such legends and tales among the people. Each of them is connected to historical events that took place in that area.