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CHAPTER I: THE ROLE AND IMPORTANCE OF TOPONYMS IN LINGUISTICS
1.1 The notion of “toponym” and viewpoints of different scientists
The term “toponymy”, used to determine the science on place names, appeared in the works of scholars about a century ago.
It is known that the most studied onomastic units are toponyms. Toponyms are formed mainly on the basis of appeals.Toponyms reflect the people's past, customs, various political, social and ethnocultural processes. Therefore, toponymy is an important component of the vocabulary of a particular language, a sign of past events.
Toponymy means place-names of a region or language or especially the etymological study of them. The study of toponyms are toponymy, toponymics, or toponomastics which is from Ancient Greek: τόπος / tópos, 'place', and ὄνομα / onoma, 'name' is proper names of places. A proper name of any geographical feature is referred to as a toponym, and the term's full meaning includes proper names of all cosmographical characteristics.In a more precise meaning, toponymy refers to a list of toponyms, whereas toponymics or toponomastics is the science that analyzes such names. Toponymy is a part of onomastics, which is the study of all forms of proper names. A person who studies toponymytoponymist.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word toponymy first appeared in English in 1876. Since then, toponym has come to replace the term place-name in professional discourse among geographers.
The first toponymists, it could be said, were storytellers and poets who used place names as the basis for their etiological fables. Folk etymology, in which a spurious meaning is taken from a name based on its structure or sounds, frequently took over.Thus, for example, the toponym of Hellespont was explained by Greek poets as being named after Helle, daughter of Athamas, who drowned there as she crossed it with her brother Phrixus on a flying golden ram. The name, however, is probably derived from an older language, such as Pelasgian, which was unknown to those who explained its origin. In his Names on the Globe, George R. Stewart theorizes that Hellespont originally meant something like 'narrow Pontus' or 'entrance to Pontus', Pontus being an ancient name for the region around the Black Sea, and by extension, for the sea itself.
It is known from history that each period had its own unique and appropriate popular place names. In studying these, we turn to the books and research of scientists.
''Etymological pecularities of Uzbek and English toponyms'' is a very comprehensive and hugely informative topic.In this case, we study the Uzbek and English toponyms by analyzing the place names of a particular place and period. Toponymy of Uzbekistan began to be studied on a scientific basis in the 60s of the 20th century: place names in Kashkadarya, Khorezm, Tashkent, Surkhandarya, Samarkand, Margilan, Kokand, Bukhara, Boysun, Mirzachul, Shahrisabz, Nurata were studied. Several dictionaries, pamphlets and monographs on toponymy were published. H. Hasanov's "Earth language" (1977), S. Qoraev's "Meaning of geographical names" (1978), 3. Dosimov's "Khorezm toponyms" (1985), T. Nafasov's "Explanatory dictionary of toponyms of Uzbekistan" (1988), N. Ahunov's "Interpretation of place names" (1994) and others.
The following are phrases and quotes associated with place names from English scientists.
“Whenever people of any sort, from ancient to modern times, come into a land that is new to them, they begin at once to name their surroundings.This is something that cannot wait.” (Constance Mary Matthews, 'HowPlacenames Began and How they Develop'); “Toponymy, whether we realize it or not, is part ofthe primary needs of every person on our planet.” (Alain Vallières, ‘The AdministrativeFramework of a Central ToponymicAgency’ in Canadian Documents for theUnited Nations Toponymy Course); “Place names are a reflection of culture and history,a reflection of us. They are a reflection of the who,what, when, where, and why at the time they weregiven, and like the culture they are dynamic andsubject to change no matter how established or traditional they are.” (John R. K. Clark in the preface to Hawai’i Place Names); “In travelling we visit names as well as places.” (William Hazlitt, Notes of a Journey through France and Italy); “While we may have plans, diagrams and visual images, our maps will remain ‘inhuman’, bearing norelation to man, until they are enriched with geographical names.” (Art Ó Maolfabhail, ‘The background and present role of the Placenames Branch of theOrdnance Survey’ in The Placenames of Ireland in the Third Millennium);“... it is keeping abreast of the latest namechanges that occupies the map and atlaseditor – to say nothing of the world’sforeign offices ...” (Naftali Kadmon, Toponymy, TheLore, Law and Language ofGeographical Names).
Scholars have found that toponyms provide valuable insight into the historical geography of a particular region. In 1954, F. M. Powicke said of place-name study that it "uses, enriches and tests the discoveries of archaeology and history and the rules of the philologists."
In general, the most studied place names among onomastic units are toponyms, and such studies should be expanded and deepened in the future. On this basis, a map of the toponyms, a solid multi-volume annotated dictionary will be prepared.
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