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Original article
84
MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF PLACE NAMES
Sh.B. Bakhtiyorova
Master's student of Alfraganus University
Place names are an essential linguistic category. From what we know so far, it seems safe to
accept the hypothesis that “all languages have names”
. In everyday life, names occur frequently
and, most obviously due to their referential function, play a major role in communication. In
language philosophy, the meaning of names has long been a crucial matter, going back to at least
Aristotle and Plato. The commonness of names is also reflected in many introductions to
linguistics, where sentences in the style of John loves Mary or Sally kisses Frank are prototypical
textbook examples to illustrate some of the most basic syntactic relations. In linguistic theory,
however, names have been largely neglected so far, despite the fact that they are such obvious
language material
. One strikingly under investigated issue concerns the internal synchronic
structure of names: while onomastics has significantly contributed to our understanding of the
structural complexity that many names display etymologically, their synchronic morphological
structure has not yet received detailed attention. As the original meaning of (at least most) names
is opaque to present-day speakers, linguists commonly regard them as being stored non-
compositionally in the mental lexicon. Yet, as we shall see, the monomorphemic approach leaves
important questions concerning the linguistic behavior of names unanswered.
That's it place names that exist in the field of onomastics of both languages, particularly
toponyms, the use in meanings, the detailed study of their morphological structural structure is
relevant not only for linguistics but also for other fields. At first we describe the word
“Toponyms” with a linguistic point. Toponyms are place names, including the names of cities,
towns, countries, regions, and geographical features like rivers, mountains, and lakes. These
names often have historical, linguistic, or cultural significance, and they can sometimes reflect
the characteristics of the place or the people who named it. Toponyms play a key role in the field
of onomastics, which is the study of names—particularly personal names (anthroponyms) and
place names (toponyms). While onomastics primarily focuses on understanding the origins,
meanings, and usage of names, toponyms specifically provide valuable insights into cultural,
historical, linguistic, and geographical contexts.
A study of Uzbek and Central Asian toponymy is related to the activities of H. Hasanov. The
scientist said, "A place is called a toponym it is called the name: Latin topos - land, onoma -
name, name. Place the sum of names is toponymy
. Both a linguist and a geographer S.Korayev
toponymy is one of the top experts in his field, toponymy giving an understanding of "toponymy
is a place the science that studies names, and toponymy is geographical we mean the sum of
1
Anderson, John M. 2007. The grammar of names. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
2
van Langendonck, Willy. 2007. Theory and typology of proper names. Berlin: Mouton de
Gruyter.
3
Ҳасанов Ҳ. Ўрта Осиё жой номлари тарихидан. – Т.: Фан, 1965.
ISSN: 3030-3931, Impact factor: 7,241
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Original article
85
names", noted6 . E. Begmatov and N. Ulukov a wide range of toponyms and related terms in the
dictionary the comprehensive essence is revealed
Toponyms are expressed in different parts of speech. According to the grammatical structure,
Uzbek geographical names are divided into simple and complex. Simple proper names are
divided into toponyms with suffixes and toponyms without suffixes. Toponyms without suffixes
and affixes consist of only one noun, these are geographical names without any other elements.
There are several types of such toponyms:
a) toponyms in the form of simple geographical or socio-economic terms: Anhor, Jizzax, Kitob,
Zomin, Termiz, Zarafshon
b) toponyms that are expressed by the names of peoples, tribes or relatives: (ethnonyms): Asaka,
Baliqchi, Boyovut, Barlos, Bo‘ka, Do‘rmon, Malik, Mang‘it, Mo‘g‘ul, Nazarbеk, Naymon,
No‘kis, Olot, Sirg‘ali, Turkman,
c) toponyms consisting of names and nicknames of people: Abdullah, Avaz, Karim, Mustafa,
Navoi, Beruniy, Ulug’bek, Lermontov
d) geographical names derived from the names of plants and animals: Archazor, Bodomzor,
Jiydabuloq, Tеrakzor, Chilonzor, O‘rikzor, Qamishzor, Kaptarxona, Bo‘rixona, Jayraxona,
Minqush
Suffixal toponyms that have affixes in their composition. Common suffixes are:
-zor Bodomzor a plot of land where almonds grow, -iston Turkiston a place where
representatives of the Turkic tribe live, -iya Shohruhiya Shohruh - the father of the great scientist
Ulugbek, -lik Soylik the place where the river flows, -ot Bog’ot Gardens, -kor Paxtakor a place
where cottons grow.
Complex toponyms consist of two or more components that are expressed by different parts of
speech. According to the grammatical structure, they are divided into the following types:
Toponyms
The components
Toshquduq
Noun+noun
Oqdaryo
Adjective +noun
Oxunboboyuqori
Noun+adjective
Beshariq
Numeral+noun
Qaynarbuloq
Verb+noun
4
Бегматов Э., Улуқов Н. Ўзбек ономастикаси терминларининг изоҳли луғати. – Наманган,
2006.
5
Ҳасанов Ҳ. Ўрта Осиё жой номлари тарихидан. – Т.: Фан, 1965.
ISSN: 3030-3931, Impact factor: 7,241
Volume 8, issue2, Iyul 2025
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OAK Index bazalari :
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Original article
86
Toponyms that have used with common suffixes in this article. There’s a rule how to pronounce
them – learn which weak form each suffix uses and then add it to the end of the root word. We
mostly applied the derivated toponyms which were taken from Old English
.
Suffixes
Examples
Meaning
-by
Grimsby
Derby
Rugby
From Old Norse, meaning ‘settlement’ or ‘village’.
Since this is at the end and weak, we don’t say /baɪ/, we
say /bi/ weakly instead
-cester
Worcester
Gloucester
Leicester
From Latin, via Old English, meaning ‘camp’. You can
usually (but not always) skip the ‘ce’ and just pronounce
it /stə/
-ford
Bradford
Watford
Stafford
A ‘ford’ is an Old English word for a shallow place in a
river where you can cross easily. ‘Ford’ by itself is
pronounced with a long vowel /fɔːd/, but when it is used
as a suffix, we use the weak pronunciation /fəd/:
-ham
Totenham
This Old English word means ‘farm’ or ‘homestead’.
Confusingly, the ‘h’ is usually silent and so the suffix is
pronounced weakly as /əm/
-ton
Brighton
Everton
Darlinton
This is a common suffix from Old English, meaning
‘enclosure’ or ‘estate’. We use the weak pronunciation
/tən/ when it is incorporated into placenames
The morphological features of toponyms in Uzbek exhibit a combination of native Uzbek
linguistic elements and influences from other languages, such as Persian, Arabic, and Russian.
Many Uzbek toponyms are descriptive of the physical or cultural characteristics of a place.
These names often use adjectives or nouns that describe the area’s natural features, ethnicity, or
the characteristics of its inhabitants. Toponyms in Uzbek, like in many other languages, have
distinct morphological features that contribute to their formation and structure.
Many English toponyms are formed through the addition of common suffixes that modify the
meaning and function of the root word. These suffixes often describe the nature of the place, its
function, or its characteristics. English toponyms, both morphologically and semantically, offer a
window into the history, culture, geography, and social structure of a place.
6
Dalberg, Vibeke. 2008. Name and place. Ten essays on the dynamics of place-names.
Copenhagen: Department of Scandinavian Research.
ISSN: 3030-3931, Impact factor: 7,241
Volume 8, issue2, Iyul 2025
https://worldlyjournals.com/index.php/Yangiizlanuvchi
worldly knowledge
OAK Index bazalari :
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Original article
87
Morphologically, these names are often formed through the use of suffixes, compounding, and
prepositions. Semantically, they often reflect geographical features, historical events, cultural
significance, or economic roles of the place. Toponyms are more than just names—they carry
layers of meaning that reflect the identity and heritage of the locations they represent.
REFERENCES
1.
Anderson, John M. 2007. The grammar of names. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
2.
van Langendonck, Willy. 2007. Theory and typology of proper names. Berlin: Mouton de
Gruyter.
3.
Ҳасанов Ҳ. Ўрта Осиё жой номлари тарихидан. – Т.: Фан, 1965.
4.
Бегматов Э., Улуқов Н. Ўзбек ономастикаси терминларининг изоҳли луғати. –
Наманган, 2006.
5.
Dalberg, Vibeke. 2008. Name and place. Ten essays on the dynamics of place-names.
Copenhagen: Department of Scandinavian Research.
