Вопросы ономастики (Jun 2012)
Mansi Substrate Toponymy on the Territory of the Former Habitation of the Mansi People
Abstract
The article summarizes the results of the study of the Mansi substrate toponymy on the territory of the former habitation of the Mansi people based on the materials collected fallowing Artturi Kannisto’s famous works of the first half of the 20th century. The author revises the Mansi toponymy distribution area on the territory of the Urals argued by Kannisto. The article especially focuses on the western border of the area. The mapping of the data revealed in the contemporary Russian toponymy as well as found in historical written sources substantiates the fact that the Mansi people moved to the Middle Urals western slopes from the East relatively late and in insignificate numbers, but did not advance any farther west of the middle course of the Kama river’s left tributaries. The analysis of the Middle Urals Mansi substrate toponymy also helps characterize some phonetic particularities of the local Old Mansi dialects.
