Limnonyms of the Turna Lake Group: Origin, Variants, Variability

Abstract

The article analyzes nine limnonyms of the Turna lake group in Northern Latvia, whose official names are Valdis (Valžezers), Kukris, Rūķis, Vircēlis, Andums, Vēršādiņa, Zūdainis, Trūdis and Mīzums, which show great variability, as well as the diversity of variants of both the same root and different names. All lakes, with the exception of Mīzums and Zūdainis, have names both with and without the nomendature word, for example Valdis/Valžezers, Rūkis/Rūķezers, Andums/Anduma ezers. Most of the lakes have different root names, such as Valdis and Pirmais ezers; Kukris and Kiekuru ezers, and Sloge, Gloage; Rūķis and Guoras ezers, and Glodis, Glūdes ezers; Vircēlis and Virdēlis, and Viruļa ezers; Zūdainis and Sūdainis and Sutainis.

The names of the four lakes can be traced back to Swedish survey maps of the 17th century. Only the name Valžezers and partially Vircēlis have survived from that time. The limnonym Guoris or Guoras ezers is also mentioned in people's memories and in indices of place names. For most names, information is available only from the 20s-30s of the 20th century.

The origin of almost all limnonyms is problematic. Several possible root solutions are proposed. It is hypothetically possible to associate the limnonym Valdis (Valžezers) with the German language. Common names associated with the Estonian language are Kukris, resp., Kukuru ezers, Vircēlis, Sūdainis, Trūdis and Anduma ezers. More or less reliable parallels can be found in Latvian for several hydronyms. In the nomination of several lakes, the term 'dirty, brownish, also smelly (water)' dominates, for example Sūdainis, Trūdis, Vircēlis, Mīzums. The names Rūkis, Kukris, Guoras ezers can be associated with household names.

Since all the lakes of the Turna lake group are relatively close to each other, name mixing is also typical, when the same name is attributed to different lakes in different sources.