Journal of Siberian Federal University. Humanities & Social Sciences / Toponymic Multilingualism in Arctic Regions: Reflection of Yukaghir-Yakut Contacts in the Toponymy of the Lower Kolyma

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Issue
Journal of Siberian Federal University. Humanities & Social Sciences. 2026 19 (3)
Authors
Kurilova, Samona N.; Zamorshchikova, Liudmila S.
Contact information
Kurilova, Samona N.: The Arctic Linguistic Ecology Lab of M.K. Ammosov North-Eastern Federal University (Yakutsk, Russian Federation); ; ORCID: 0000-0002-0300-3771; Zamorshchikova, Liudmila S. : The Arctic Linguistic Ecology Lab of M.K. Ammosov North-Eastern Federal University (Yakutsk, Russian Federation); ORCID: 0000-0001-5541-8613
Keywords
hybrid toponymy; language contacts; Yukaghir language; Yakut language; Arctic multilingualism; cultural memory; folklore; ethnography; toponymic stem; affix; adaptation
Abstract

The study of Arctic toponymic multilingualism is relevant in the context of preserving the linguistic heritage of indigenous peoples amidst globalization. Using the toponymy of the Lower Kolyma as a case study, this research analyzes hybrid geographical names that have emerged from prolonged Yukaghir-Yakut language contact. The novelty of the work lies in its systematic presentation of structural types of hybrid toponyms, such as complex constructions with multilingual components, morphological hybrids with foreign-language affixes, full calques, phonetically assimilated forms, toponymic paronyms, and ethno-marked nominations. The research methodology integrates principles of critical toponymy with interdisciplinary analysis, combining linguistic, historical, and anthropological methods. A contextual approach interprets toponyms as cultural texts, revealing the semantics of geographical names through folklore and ethnographic materials within the framework of traditional knowledge and sociocultural processes. Linguistic mechanisms of hybridization, such as transliteration, calquing, contamination, and partial calquing, have been identified. It is established that these toponyms serve as cultural memory, recording historical events, ethnographic realities, and features of traditional land use, while simultaneously functioning as markers of ethno-cultural interactions. Research prospects are associated with the creation of a geoinformation system for toponyms, the development of automated methods for analyzing language contacts, and the application of the findings in educational programs for cultural heritage preservation. The obtained data contribute to the development of interdisciplinary approaches in linguistics, anthropology, and historical geography, bearing practical significance for language planning in Arctic regions

Pages
489–505
EDN
UTJSHQ
Paper at repository of SibFU
https://elib.sfu-kras.ru/handle/2311/158210

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