Unstressed a/o Vowels in Russian Toponyms: Sources of Variation

Abstract

The article examines the sources of the unstressed a/o variation in Russian toponyms spelling. This type of variation is known from the works of previous researchers of Russian toponymy and is also presented in Russia’s State Index of Place Names (SIPN), namely in the category of toponyms requiring spelling clarification. The material of the study is constituted by toponyms from the SIPN with variation in the spelling of unstressed a/o. The sources of the study are normative legal acts of the subjects of the country and municipalities, reference books of political divisions, lists of settlements and topographic maps of the 18th–21st centuries. Using different methods of onomastic research such as the analysis of name variants, etymological analysis, geolinguistic analysis, etc., the following sources for spelling variation of toponyms are identified and illustrated with examples: the influence of local dialects, de-etymologization of toponyms, hypercorrection of toponyms, the use of practical transcription rules, oral adoption of borrowed toponyms, phonetization of toponyms. The main prerequisite for variation is the unstressed position of the a/o vowels. The influence of local dialects may affect the spelling of a toponym, particularly in the case of de-etymologization, but it is not mandatory. De-etymologization manifests itself in the loss of connection with a specific appellative or anthroponym the toponym derives from. Toponymic variation is aggravated in the case of a known variation in the spelling of the corresponding appellative or anthroponym. Hypercorrection results from the urge to render a toponym in some form that feels intuitively correct. Hypercorrection and phonetization ignore both the traditions of the use of the toponym and its linguistic origin. The use of practical transcription leads to variation in the toponyms borrowed into Russian, particularly if these have traditional spellings. In the case of oral adoption of borrowed toponyms, variation occurs because of the adaptation of unfamiliar phonemes. It is noted that variation is often complex, and de-etymologization plays a crucial role.