Areal Distribution of Veps ­Topographical Vocabulary

• Published in: Linguistica Uralica 2017, Vol.LIII (2), p.106-123
• Main Authors: Mullonen, Irma Ivanovna, Zaitseva, Nina Grigorievna
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Finno-Ugrian studies
• ISSN: 0868-4731; 1736-7506

The paper is based on data provided by the Linguistic Atlas of the Veps Language, which is currently under preparation at the Institute of Linguistics, Literature and History of the Karelian Research Centre, Russian Academy of Sciences. It analyzes five linguistic maps representing the areas of some items of Veps topographical vocabulary which are etymologically closely related to the Finnic languages. Nowadays the vocabulary is rapidly disappearing due to the loss of the indigenous lifestyle and the mother tongue of the people. Therefore, our study includes not only proper lexical data, but also some place names as well as some items of the Veps lexical substrate observed in Russian dialects. This has helped us to more accurately define the historical areas of some Veps terms. Mapping has revealed many details of the lexemes areal distribution, obviously caused by ­different reasons from geographical to administrative and political ones. The study has established several etymological layers of words with topographic semantics. A few proper Veps terms (e.g. purde) are considered to be of special value as they show the ­lexical potential of the Veps language. Also, some lexemes of unclear etymology (uhring, poźe) were found, which might have existed in the pre-Veps substrate. The paper describes some possible ways to interpret their ­etymology.