Nominative Strategies in English and Kyrgyz Hydronymy: Descriptive and Memorial Principles

Abstract

Hydronymy represents one of the most archaic layers of toponymic vocabulary in any language, preserving evidence of a people's cultural and historical experience over millennia. The aim of this study is to identify and describe the dominant nominative strategies in English and Kyrgyz hydronymy through comparative analysis, and to determine the historical-cultural causes of the observed differences. The study employs comparative, etymological, and classificatory methods. The research material consists of hydronyms of Kyrgyzstan, Great Britain, and the USA, documented in toponymic dictionaries and reference works. Analysis shows that in Kyrgyz hydronymy the descriptive principle of nomination dominates, directly linked to the nomadic way of life of the Kyrgyz people and the practical need for precise knowledge of water body characteristics. Colour components (ak-, kara-, kyzyl-, kök-) conveyed not visual but qualitative characteristics of water, serving as a navigational code. In English hydronymy, by contrast, memorial names constitute a significant proportion, having emerged as instruments of asserting power and commemorating individuals during colonial expansion. A further important observation is the presence of a large number of Celtic substrate borrowings in English hydronyms whose meaning is lost to contemporary speakers. Overall, comparative analysis reveals that nominative strategies reflect the mentality, practical needs, and cultural-historical values of peoples.