The linguistic nature of folk geographical terms in the Kazakh and Nogai languages

Abstract

The Kazakhs and Nogais are historically related peoples, which explains the typological and genetic similarities between their languages. The ethnogenetic and culturalhistorical unity of these peoples has contributed to the preservation of substantial shared linguistic elements and archaic lexical units. Their nomadic lifestyle and economic activities, which were adapted to constant movement according to climatic conditions, fostered a profound understanding of their surroundings and natural phenomena. The precise differentiation of steppe expanses, landforms, water sources, and vegetation cover was vital. Natural objects were given common names based on shared characteristics, leading to the formation of a rich inventory of folk geographical terms and an integral linguogeographical system. These names were passed down through the generations, becoming firmly established in collective memory and linguistic tradition. On the one hand, folk terms serve as evidence of geographical cognition, and on the other hand, they reflect the linguistic worldview and background knowledge of nature. These terms represent the natural and landscape features of specific territories and embody the traditional experience and worldview of the people. This article analyzes the formation conditions and linguistic nature of folk geographical terms in the Kazakh and Nogai languages. The research employs historical-comparative, descriptive, and etymological methods to ensure a systematic examination of the linguistic material. Perception of the environment is realized through identification of each object type and assignment of an appropriate designation. While these names are preserved in language, the mechanisms by which they are formed, their original meanings, and the reasons behind them are not always clear. Therefore, etymological studies were conducted on a number of obscure folk terms. The analysis proposed hypotheses about the shared origin of words such as quray, qurğaq, and qurlyq; küdir, küp, köbe (zher kobesi), and köbek, which all stem from the same underlying base. A comparative analysis of words with similar meanings and phonetically related forms revealed that their proto-roots date back to the variants qu, qü, kü, and kö. These variants function as fossilized roots in modern language. A word's morphological structure reflects its origin and the evolution of its semantic development, as manifested by the expansion and differentiation of meanings. This study establishes that the morphological structure of these terms includes root, derived, and compound forms, and that their equivalents in both languages are formed by identical methods. Furthermore, the study shows that these terms share motivational bases and lexico-semantic systems, which testifies to their historical unity and deep linguistic interrelation.