Eurasian bilingual hydronyms nominations with the components "ak/kara"

Abstract

Toponyms, not just geographical names, carry historical, geographical, and linguistic information and provide rich evidence of epochs. The names of places mirror the culture and lifestyle of people related to them and have unique features. Toponymical researches have a long history, however, there are some problems that complicate the interpretation of toponyms. Disputable issues related to the definition of toponyms sources require greater attention from linguistics, and historical and geographical sciences. The present study aims to explore Turkic hydronyms with the components "aq/ak" and "qara/kara" to identify their nomination specificity. The descriptive research design employs the methods of a complex linguistic and etymological analysis. The research data comprises of Turkic hydronyms, naming bodies of water located in the territory of the Eurasian space – Afghanistan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan. The conducted study demonstrates that the nomination of the hydronyms with the components "aq/ak" and "qara/kara" is not related to the color specifics of the bodies of water. The hydronyms with the component "aq/ak" name the water resources that are mountain snowy waters and originate from glaciers, whereas the component "qara/kara" in Turkic hydronyms indicates the spring origin of waters.