INGRIAN NOMENCLATURE: ETHNONYMS, LINGUONYMS AND TOPONYMS

The article examines the nominations of three minor, closely related Baltic-Finnic languages that have long been in contact with one another and are widespread in Ingria, the historical part of the Leningrad region. Both synchronic and historical names are described, their origin is traced, and the causes of certain names being replaced by others or existing simultaneously with other names are given.The models of transformation and drift of ethnic group and their languages are investigated. Historical sources, dictionaries that contain various synchronic sections, texts previously recorded by researchers of these languages, and the author's own data obtained during her fieldwork with native speakers of these idioms are examined. In addition to language nominations, the article pays attention to the toponyms of Ingermanlandia. All the villages there have two names: one is used when speaking the indigenous language, the other is used when speaking Russian. The relations of Baltic-Finnish and Russian toponyms are classified. The conclusion is made that the coexistence of parallel toponyms – in the indigenous and Russian languages – demonstrates the preservation of ethnic identity, despite the impeding conditions. Small languages, due to the inevitable contacts with neighbors, provide extensive material for the study of the processes of change and drift of the names of ethnic groups and their languages, allowing to trace the typology of such changes.

minority languages, ethnonyms, linguonyms, toponyms, the Votic language, the Ingrian language, language of Ingrian Finns