Oriental Studies (Jul 2021)
Bashkir Family Names Derived from Social Titles and Ranks: Historical and Etymological Analysis
Abstract
Introduction. Exploration of family anthroponyms associated with names of social titles and ranks on the basis of factual materials is of special significance, especially when it comes to examine the former in several essential perspectives. Goals. The study primarily aims at considering family names derived from social titles and ranks in historical /etymological and lexical/semantic perspectives. Restoration of some ancient names that have got completely excluded from the historical anthroponymic system is possible through analysis of surnames recorded in historical documents. The article seeks to determine the actual methods of deriving surnames from social titles and ranks, as well as to establish correspondences between historical facts and transformed (at certain stages of social life) concepts that had been once used to denote such titles and ranks further manifested in anthroponyms. Materials and Methods. The work analyzes surnames derived from titles and ranks registered in the scientific two-volume edition ‘Documents and Materials on Bashkir History, 1836– 1842: Formulary Lists of Civil Servants Attached to the Bashkir-Mishar Tatar Host, 1836–1842’. The study employs a number of linguistic methods, such as the descriptive, etymological, comparative, and statistical ones. Results. Thus, the historical and etymological analysis of surnames derived from the onyms хан ~ ҡан ‘khan ~ qan’, бәк ~ бик ‘beg ~ b(e)ik’, бей ‘bey’, батыр ‘ba(gha)tur’, алп, алып ‘alp’, шаҡман ‘shaqman’ makes it possible conclude as to the significance of titles and ranks in the formation of Bashkir anthroponymy. For example, the insight into the onym хан ~ ҡан serving an anthroponymic basis reveals that the institution of khanate had existed in Bashkir society since ancient times, long before the Golden Horde, which resulted in that ҡан (хан) — stemmed family onyms (as well as related phonetic versions of the lexeme) were widespread enough. The paper also shows that surnames containing the title lexeme бик were much more common than those derived from the form бек. Another finding is that quite a share of discovered Bashkir surnames were derived from ranks bestowed to war heroes (батыр, алп, шаҡман, алдар).
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