INSIGHT INTO THE LINGUISTIC HISTORY OF THE ETHNONYM "CHUKCHA"

Abstract

Peoples of the North, though small-numbered, often obtain not one, but several names, which have the different frequency of use: they are self-names of specific groups and names given by their neighbours. The article deals with the evolution of the graphical depiction of the ethnonym Chukchi from the moment of its first appearance in documents of the mid-XVI century up to the final fixation of its spelling in the early XIX century’s legislation acts. The article also features the matter of regional Chukchi’s names and explains why the Russian language adopted this very ethnonym. The paper focuses on the peculiarities of the case inflection of the word Chukchi in the recent past. The author investigates the attempt to rename Chukchi to Luoravetlans, which the Soviet regime undertook in the pre-war period when many ethnonyms of the USSR peoples were changed, and explains why the new name did not take roots.

Keywords

• luoravetlan
• oravetlan
• peoples of the north
• common ethnonyms
• regional ethnonyms
• changes of ethnonyms
• north-east of russia
• chukotka