UDC

801.311:81’373+008

Authors

Larisa V. Mikhaylova
Petrozavodsk State University; prosp. Lenina, d. 33, Petrozavodsk, 185910, Russian Federation;
e-mail: larisa.mihailova@gmail.com

Abstract

Place names of the Valaam archipelago had been formed and developed over many centuries. The islands were populated in several stages, each of which saw changes in the system of Valaam toponyms. At each subsequent stage of settlement on the archipelago, the new population borrowed and assimilated the existing names of objects, creating new toponyms at the same time. Depending on the stages of the archipelago’s settlement as well as changes in and interactions between the ethnic groups on Valaam, there were formed two toponymic systems: the Baltic Finnic and Russian. The Baltic Finnic system is represented by Karelian (Karelian proper and Livvik dialects) and Finnish names. At certain stages of the archipelago’s settlement, the Baltic Finnic toponymic system was replaced by the Russian system. However, coexistence and interaction of the two systems could also be observed. The following historically formed layers in Valaam toponymy can be distinguished: unknown (substrate), Karelian, Finnish, and Russian. Substrate toponyms of Valaam include old place names whose inner form is no longer recognized by Russians. The oldest toponymic layer on Valaam is comprised of place names originating in Karelian and Finnish dialects; their origin, however, can only be determined by comparing them to modern dialects of these languages. The Finnish toponymic layer is based on the words of the modern Finnish national language. The Russian toponymic layer started evolving in the 10th century and has been developing ever since. In addition to place names based on Russian words, Russian toponyms also include Karelian and Finnish names adapted by the Russian language.

Keywords

Valaam, Valaam archipelago, Valaam place names, Valaam substrate toponyms, Karelian Valaam toponyms, Finnish Valaam toponyms, Russian Valaam toponyms

References

1. Valaamskiy monastyr’ [The Valaam Monastery]. St. Petersburg, 1864. 348 p.
   
2. Valaamskiy monastyr’ i ego podvizhniki [The Valaam Monastery and Its Ascetics]. St. Petersburg, 1903. 447 p.
   
3. Valaamskiy monastyr’ i ego svyatyni v period rastsveta i blagosostoyaniya obiteli [The Valaam Monastery and Its Sacred Objects During the Heyday and Prosperity of the Monastery]. Leningrad, 1990. 175 p.
   
4. Ozeretskovskiy N.Ya. Puteshestvie po ozeram Ladozhskomu i Onezhskomu [A Journey on the Ladoga and Onega Lakes]. Petrozavodsk, 1989. 207 p.
   
5. Inostrantsev A. Petrograficheskiy ocherk ostrova Valamo [Petrographic Sketch of the Valamo Island]. Trudy Pervogo s”ezda russkikh estestvoispytateley v S.-Peterburge, proiskhodivshego s 28 dekabrya 1867 po 4 yanvarya 1868 g. [Proc. 1st Congr. of Russian Naturalists in St. Petersburg from 28 December 1867 to 4 January 1868]. St. Petersburg, 1868, pp. 52–62.
   
6. Andreev A.P. Ladozhskoe ozero: v 2 ch. [Lake Ladoga: In 2 Pts.]. St. Petersburg, 1875.
   
7. Ryvkin V.R. Valaam: arkhitekturno-prirodnye ansambli Valaamskogo arkhipelaga [Valaam: Architectural and Natural Ensembles of the Valaam Archipelago]. Petrozavodsk, 1981. 80 p.
   
8. Ryvkin V.R. Po Valaamu [Along Valaam]. Petrozavodsk, 1990. 254 p.
   
9. Reznikov L.Ya. Valaam raskryvaet tayny [Valaam Reveals Its Secrets]. Petrozavodsk, 1975. 168 p.
   
10. Reznikov L.Ya. Valaam. Krizis asketizma [Valaam. The Crisis of Asceticism]. Leningrad, 1986. 143 p.
    
11. Kert G., Mamontova N. Zagadki karel’skoy toponimiki. Rasskaz o geograficheskikh nazvaniyakh Karelii [Mysteries of Karelian Toponymy. Speaking About the Geographical Names in Karelia]. Petrozavodsk, 2008. 120 p.
    
12. Levashov E.A. Valaam – ostrov zagadok [Valaam: An Island of Mysteries]. Russkaya rech’, 1980, no. 3, pp. 85−88.
    
13. Mullonen I.I. Karel’skaya toponimiya Valaama [Karelian Toponymy of Valaam]. Pribaltiysko-finskoe yazykoznanie [Baltic Finnic Linguistics]. Petrozavodsk, 2003, pp. 45−54.
    
14. Nissilä V. Suomen Karjalan nimistö. Joensuu, 1975. 381 p.
    
15. Khakulinen L. Razvitie i struktura finskogo yazyka. Ch. I. Fonetika i morfologiya [Development and Structure of the Finnish Language. Pt. 1. Phonetics and Morphology]. Moscow, 1953. 312 p.
    
16. Ariste P.A. Formirovanie pribaltiysko-finskikh yazykov i drevneyshiy period ikh razvitiya [Formation of the Baltic Finnic Languages and the Earliest Period of Their Development]. Voprosy etnicheskoy istorii estonskogo naroda [Issues of the Ethnic History of the Estonian People]. Tallinn, 1956, pp. 5–25.
    
17. Valaamskoe slovo o Valaamskom monastyre [Valaam Words About the Valaam Monastery]. St. Petersburg, 1871. 31 p.
    
18. Payalin N.P. Materialy dlya sostavleniya istorii Valaamskogo monastyrya. Vyp. 1. O rozyskakh drevnostey chestnoy obiteli [Materials for the Compilation of the History of the Valaam Monastery. Iss. 1. On the Search for Old Relics of the Honest Abode]. Vyborg, 1915. 47 p.
    
19. Myznikov S.A. O nekotorykh naimenovaniyakh pribaltiysko-finskikh narodov v russkikh govorakh Severo- Zapada [On Some Names of the Baltic Finns in North-Western Russian Dialects]. “Svoe” i “chuzhoe” v kul’ture = “Our” and “Alien” in Culture: materialy X Mezhdunar. nauch. konf. [“Our” and “Alien” in Culture: Proc. 10th Int. Sci. Conf.]. Petrozavodsk, 16–17 March 2015. Petrozavodsk, 2015, pp. 106–110.
    
20. Kert G.M. Adaptatsiya saamskoy toponimii Kol’skogo poluostrova russkim yazykom [Adaptation of Saami Toponyms of the Kola Peninsula by the Russian Language]. Onomastika Karelii. Problemy vzaimodeystviya raznoyazychnykh onomasticheskikh system [Karelian Onomastics. Problems of Interaction Between Multilingual Onomastic Systems]. Petrozavodsk, 1995, pp. 38−43.
    
21. Popov A.I. Nepochatyy istochnik istorii Karelii (Karel’skaya toponimika) [A Plentiful Source of the History of Karelia (Karelian Toponymy)]. Rodnye serdtsu imena (Onomastika Karelii) [Names Dear to Our Hearts (Karelian Onomastics)]. Petrozavodsk, 1993, pp. 28−68.