Belomorye as an object of historical, ethnocultural and areal research through the prism of language

Analyzing lexicographical materials and studies of the White Sea dialects peculiarities, the author describes certain word groups and individual lexical units that are significant in terms of historical, ethnocultural and areal aspects. The focus is on the vocabulary reflecting the unique nature and life of the inhabitants of Belomorye (a geographical area in Russia, comprising the entire coast of the White Sea and the surrounding areas), determined by long-term linguistic and cultural contacts of the Russian population having arrived to the White Sea mainly from Pskov and Novgorod lands. To solve the problem of the White Sea dialects vocabulary formation a significant group is singled out, i. e. a group of Russian words with an initial combination ke-, which is often a sign of a word’s foreign origin. An example of Russian кеж, equivalent to цеж, vividly demonstrates the historical ties between Pskov and Belomorye. Among many words that indicate the isolation of the White Sea dialects, the word прихохотье (prihohotye) is interesting from the etymological point of view. The task of studying Belomorye vocabulary in different aspects is posed.