Toponymic Field Research in the Basin of the Kazym River and Its Results

Abstract

The article deals with the history and the results of toponymic field research of the Basin of the Kazym River, a region in Western Siberia in Beloyarsky District, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug — Yugra. The paper covers the expeditions carried out by a group of researchers from Ural State University and archaeologists from the Northern Group of the Ural Archaeographic Expedition in 1987–1993 as well as the author’s individual field research of 1995 and 1998–2001 whose results constituted the basis of her habilitation dissertation and book on the toponymy of the Kazym River Basin. The area under consideration represents a great interest for linguists, historians, archaeologists and ethnologists. The article provides archaeological and ethnological characteristics of the region paying particular attention to its linguistic specificity and to some approaches to the work with informants, mostly speakers of the Khanty language. The author recalls with gratitude all those who assisted in collecting data and, in conclusion, points out that it is urgent to collect Western Siberian place names.

Keywords

• Khanty language
• toponymy
• place names
• the lower Ob River region
• field research