Motivational features of oikonyms in Yakutia and Canada: a comparative-typological study of common and specific characteristics

Abstract

This article presents a comparative analysis of motivational features of oikonyms (settlement names) in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and three Canadian territories – the province of Alberta, the Northwest Territories, and the territory of Nunavut. The selection of these regions is justified by their climatic similarity, vast areas with low population density, and the presence of indigenous peoples with traditional subsistence economies. The study is based on an analysis of 36 oikonyms from Yakutia and 36 from Canada, employing descriptive, comparative-historical, etymological, and quantitative methods. The research examines both universal features shared by the oikonymic systems of both regions – such as multi-layered toponymic stratigraphy, toponymic irradiation, connection with geographical realities, and commemorativeness – as well as region-specific characteristics, including the predominance of indigenous linguistic strata in Yakutia and the active revitalization of native place names in Canada, ideologically marked Soviet oikonyms in Yakutia, and anthropotoponyms associated with the missionary and colonial history of Canada. Special attention is paid to the analysis of semantic groups of oikonyms reflecting physiographic characteristics, economic activities, and ethnocultural contacts. The cross-continental comparison of toponymic material reveals both deep universal patterns of naming and unique regional strategies of settlement designation, reflecting the ethnocultural history and the specific ways in which the peoples of the Arctic and the North have appropriated and conceptualized their spatial environment. The findings contribute to the development of comparative toponymics and linguoculturology, expanding the understanding of the mechanisms of toponymic nomination in polyethnic regions of the world. The study also demonstrates how historical and cultural processes, including colonization and decolonization, shape the toponymic landscape and influence the identity of local communities.

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