Polysemanticity of phytotoponyms of Southern Urals and Trans-Urals

Purpose. The article is devoted to the study of Bashkir toponyms formed on the basis of phytonyms. The main objective is to demonstrate phytotoponyms and determine the laws of their nomination.Results. The authors describe models for the formation of toponyms derived from plant names and conduct a comparative analysis of Bashkir phytotoponyms with onomastic materials of other Turkic languages. Of the 10,000 Bashkir geographical names recorded, phytonyms are found in about 4 % of toponyms. They contain 65 names of plants, including 16 names of trees, 16 names of shrubs and fruit trees, 8 names of aquatic plants, 13 names of edible wild herbs, 13 names of other plants used for domestic purposes in everyday life, agricultural crops, etc.Conclusion. The authors of the article emphasize that phytotoponyms ascertain, register the location, a certain position of the plant and belong to the secondary nomination, as well as the fact that many phytotoponyms carry socially significant cultural and historical information about the world, and in ancient times they would act as a natural landmark in space. Systematization of the collected material reveals the features of the vegetation cover and areal flora of Southern Urals and Trans-Urals.