Toponymy of Tajikistan

The name “Tajikistan” ( Tajik. Toҷikiston ; Persian تاجیکستان - Toҷikiston - “country of Tajiks ”) comes from the self-designation of Tajiks and the suffix -Istan / -stan , with the help of which the names of countries and localities of the people indicated in the first part of the toponym ^{[ 1]} . The name appeared in 1924 as a result of the national-territorial demarcation of Central Asia ^[2] and the creation of the Tajik Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic as part of the Uzbek SSR (in 1929-1991 - the Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic ). On September 9, 1991, at an extraordinary session of the Supreme Council of the Tajik SSR , a Statement and Resolution “On the State Independence of the Republic of Tajikistan” were adopted, and on November 6, 1994, a Constitution was adopted at a popular referendum, Article 1 of which approved the equivalence of the names “Republic of Tajikistan” and “Tajikistan” ^[3] .

The territory of modern Tajikistan in various periods of history was part of many state formations, such as Bactria , Sogdiana , the state of the Samanids , the Guri sultanate and many others.

The ancestors of the Tajiks called their country “ Aryānam Vaeja ” ^[4] . This name comes from the ancient Iranian aryanam "and Avest . Airyanam (in the Middle Persian - Erān , in Tajik - Eron ) and means" Country of the Aryans. "It is assumed that in the era of the Achaemenids (550-327 BC) the concept of" Aryānam Vaeja ” Was transformed into“ Aryānam Xšaθram ”-“ Aryan State. ”Aryan tribes ( Aryans , singular -“ Aryan ”- Arya ; from the Avestan word aria and Iranian ariya -“ noble ”,“ pure ”) - the name of the ancient Indo-Iranian tribes that at the beginning of II Millennium BC. e. separated from Indo tribes and moved to Central Asia ( yiryana Vaedzha (AVEST.) -...., "the Aryan expanse of country") At the end of the II millennium BC, part of the Indo-Iranian tribes moved into the lands of modern Iran and North India in the historical sources Aryans (Aryan, aria) are referred to as peoples ancestors. states of Ariana, Turan , Ancient Bactria , Sogd , Khorezm , Persia, Medes and Khorasan ^{[5] [6] [7]} .

According to the estimates of V. A. Zhuchkevich , the toponymy of Tajikistan is quite complicated due to the following reasons:

• linguistic factor - the Tajik language belongs to the Iranian language group , in contrast to the languages ​​of other peoples of Central Asia, mainly Turkic ;
• distribution in the country, along with Tajik, of other languages ​​- the southeastern part of the Pamir is populated by Kyrgyz , the mountainous part of Southern Tajikistan and the Western Pamir - native speakers of the Pamir group of Iranian languages ( Vakhan , Yazgulyam , Shugnan , Rushan , Bartang , Yagnob and others);
• the complexity of the territorial structure of the country - the territory is very fragmented, the borders are twisty, whereby speakers of different language groups may be close neighbors;
• the presence in the country of ancient settlements whose place names arose before the formation of the Tajik language, which makes their study extremely problematic ^[8] .

In addition, as noted by A. L. Khromov, it is not always easy to solve the question of the language affiliation of a Tajik toponym. This is due to the lexical and phonetic features of the Iranian languages. For example, in Sogdian and Persian (Tajik) languages ​​there were a number of homophones , which cannot be said with certainty whether they are borrowings from Sogdian to Persian or vice versa, or they are a common inheritance in both languages ^[9] .

The modern toponymy of Tajikistan consists of layers of different ages and linguistic origin. A. L. Khromov distinguishes the following toponymic layers in it:

1. Tajik;
2. Pamir
3. Yagnobsky;
4. Turkic ( Uzbek and Kyrgyz );
5. Russian;
6. substrate (Sogdian and probably Bactrian ) ^[10] .

The most numerous is the Tajik toponymic stratum. A. L. Khromov distinguishes 4 subtypes in it:

1. place names with an uncomplicated basis - a noun : Agba, Baroz, Angor, Kores, Kutal, Tagob, Chashma ;
2. toponyms-composites: here, as in the Yagnob toponymy, duality prevails: Govkhuna, Kalkuh, Kaftarhona, Oftobru, Pulbog, Selda, Gurkhona, Devsang, Depast . Composite Tajik toponyms, unlike the Yagnob ones, can consist of a noun and the stem of the present or past tense of the verb: Barratarosh, Barfgir, Govkhuft, Sangrav, Sanpar, Selkan, Takapar, Devonakush, Harkush, Harborkun, Kushkorkhuft, Husankush, Chunkam . There are also composites consisting of a numeral and a noun: Dunov, Chilhamma, Chilob, Duoshuk ;
3. toponyms-phrases; · as a rule, there is an isafeta construction , which may include nouns, adjectives and less often - past participles: Barozy poyon, Barozy kampirak, Gods Olim, Guzari bolo, Guri Shams, Damti nav, Damti Nazar, Muri Yah, Muri Sada, Muri Tea, Novi Bedov, Novi Burs, Novi Borik, Bursi Navishta, Muri Kaikak Paridagi, Muri Kurumboy Paridagi ;
4. place names with a base complicated by topoformant . The following topoformants are used in Tajik toponymy:

• -a : Borikrakh, Bursnov, Duob, Durakh, Dupula, Dusang, Soul, 3imiston, 3iranova, Zagob, Yagdar, Kurnov, Manorshakh, Nova, Obraha, Sarschakh, Seburs, Sebed, Siyanov, Tarmob, Tagnova, Chaznova, Chaznova, Chaknova, Chaknova, Chaknova, Chaknova, Chaknova, Chaknova, Chaknova , Durovuta, Yaksutuna;
• -ak : Barfistak, Bedak, Bursak, Davrak, Dashtak, 3aminak, 3irkak, Kamapak, Kubidak, Machitak, Remak, Savzidorak, Kalandarak, Khavzak, Khulbuyak ;
• -i : Buralafi, Mugoki, Peaks, Surkhi, Tangi, Chimi, Chori, Pishkashi, Pisi, Samari, Sipiti, Hoksurhi, Shohobi ;
• -zor : Buttazor, 3agutzor, Kukotizor, Lolazor, Maachirakzor, Matorop, Magzor, Novzor, ​​Rovazor, Sirakzor ;
• -on , -un : Sedodariyon, Cyron, Lulion, Shepherd, Tirgaron, Hulolon, Chuibonon, Wignun, Doracun, Kapkiyon, Murchiyon, Kilbozon ;
• - (x) about : Dashtako, 3amino, Kandaho, Kachguto, Kulako, Kulo, Muro, Narmaho, Novaho, Ostunaho, Oshtonako, Safedorako, Sebako, Village, Sukhtakho, Sukhtabaraho, Techniko, Tobasanko, Tudaho, Ushtursango, Khirm, Sharrajo, Galanco ;
• -vara , -bar : 3irkvara, Katvara, Horbara, Chigribara, Chukrivara, Shunchivara, Gazvara, Ochchirvara, Gulvara, 3angorvara, Lovara, Mangvara, Nayvara, Machapa, Shukhlavara, Shikorvara ;
• - (and) groan : Doriston, Katkistun, Mushiston, Hishobiston, Choriston, Chukuriston ;
• -Gi : Duvobgi, Molgi, Novagi, Dunogi, Kosagi ;
• -obob : 3irobod, Navobod, Khairobot, Novobod, 3ulmobot ;
• -don, dong : Yahdon, Regdun ^[11] .

Most of the listed topoformants dates back to the corresponding word-formation suffixes of the Tajik language, with the exception of the topoformants -on, - (x) o, -vara, -obod ^[11] .

Türkic toponymy is found in Tajikistan almost everywhere, with the greatest "condensations" north of the Turkestan mountain range , in the Gissar and Vakhsh valleys , as well as in the Eastern Pamirs ; the Pamirian toponymic layer is noted in the Western Pamirs, in Vanj and Darvaz , the Yagnobsky layer - in the Yagnob river valley , in the northern parts of the Varzob gorge and Ramita ^[10] .

The toponymy of mountainous Tajikistan has its own peculiarities, which was noted, in particular, by the famous explorer of the Pamir A.P. Fedchenko in his notes: “The names of mountains, and partly rivers, were for me a constant source of confusion in my travels. "Not only villages lying on opposite sides call the same mountain by different names, but different names are given even by neighboring villages." These features are due to the fact that the local toponymic nomenclature in general does not have the mountain names in close-up, but there are a lot of local names attached to different parts of the terrain on the slopes of one mountain or within the same gorge. As for local hydronymy , large torus rivers, whose valleys form valleys, the local population usually calls simply “dairo” (river), and small tributaries have no names at all. Usually in such cases they say: “Water of such a gorge” (“Ob Falon Talob”) ^[12] .

The Russian-speaking toponymic stratum in Tajikistan is small and unstable, in turn, two chronological sublayers can be distinguished in it: an extremely small pre-revolutionary sublayer (there were only a few such place names, in particular the village of Pridanovo, Sogd region ), and a sublayer of the Soviet period dominated by toponyms of the corresponding ideological “Coloring”: Vakhshstroy , Proletarsk , Chkalovsk ^[13] , etc. A number of settlements in the 1920s – 1930s were named after party leaders and were renamed in accordance with changes in the political situation: for example, the capital of the republic, the city of Dushanbe , was officially called Dyushambe in 1924-1929, renamed Stalinabad in 1929, and in 1961 the original name was returned to the city - Dushanbe ^[14] ; the city of Khojent in 1936 was renamed to Leninabad , and in 1991 to Khujant ^[15] ; the city of Dusti in the years 1938-1957 was called Molotovabad; until 1957 the village of Balkh was called Kaganovichabad, from 1957 it was called Kolkhozabad, and in 2017 it was renamed Balkh; in 1936 the village of Darband was renamed to Komsomolabad (and, accordingly, the Darband district to Komsomolabad ), in 1991 it was again renamed to Darband district, and in 2003 to Nurabad district ^[16] .

Along with oikonymy , politically determined changes also affected oronymy : for example, the highest peak of the USSR, located in the Pamirs, was called Stalin's Peak in 1932, renamed the Peak of Communism in 1962, and Ismoil Somoni Peak in 1998 ^[17] , in 2006 the Lenin Peak and the Revolution Peak became, respectively, the peak named after Abu al-ibn Sina and the peak of Independence ( Tajik. Kullai Istiolol ) ^[13] .

The legal basis for toponymic policy of Tajikistan at present is the laws “On the names of geographical objects” (2006) and “ On the state language of the Republic of Tajikistan ” (2009). Article 7 of the Law on Geographical Names establishes the procedure for assigning names to geographical objects and renaming of geographical objects, and clause 2 of Article 19 of the Law on the state language proclaims: "The Republic of Tajikistan provides for the restoration and protection of historical names of places on the territory of the republic." At the same time, the implementation of toponymic policies, including mass renaming of settlements, carried out without consulting experts, causes criticism from the public ^[16] .

• Zhuchkevich V.A. General toponymy. 2nd edition, revised and amended. - Minsk: High School, 1968 .-- 432 p.
• Pospelov E. M. Geographical names of the world. Toponymic dictionary / resp. ed. R. A. Ageeva. - 2nd ed., Stereotype. - M .: Russian dictionaries, Astrel, AST, 2002. - 512 p. - 3,000 copies. - ISBN 5-17-001389-2 .
• Khromov A.L. Essays on Toponymy and Microtoponymy of Tajikistan. Issue 1 / under. ed. Z.S. Rajabova. - Dushanbe: Irfon, 1975 .-- 84 p.