Map labels often tell very interesting stories. Why is the city in Crimea called Armenian? For what reasons was Odessa called so? What does the word "Kherson" mean? What is the root of the word "Moscow"? What did “Tula” originally mean? Who were the Laptevs? These and other issues excite people, despite the complexities of modern life.
The origin of the name of the Black Sea is very curious in itself. A modern tourist, going on vacation to Anapa or Sochi, Yalta or Alushta, Odessa or Tarkhan-Kut, knows very well that he will return home black from sunburn, and only his eyes and smile will remain white on his face. Therefore, the sea, on the shores of which he is going to rest, is quite naturally associated with this color. But this was not always the case, and these beaches have become resort places relatively recently.
Different names of the Black Sea
There are many options for what the Black Sea used to be called. In those days, when there was no single fleet yet, each of the wanderers applied it to the cards in their own way. Marco Polo in the XIII century found it so huge that he called it “Great”, although today it is known that the dimensions are not so large. Once the city of Surozh (now a small Crimean Sudak) was such a significant trading center that even the sea was named after it for some time. Afanasy Nikitin in the 15th century, on his way from India, came to Tavria from Turkey and designated the present Black Sea as Istanbul. His name was Georgian, Greek, Cimmerian, and Slavic. It was also Armenian - in the XI century, when the Seljuk Turks forced most of this people to hide from the persecution in Crimea. Then the concept of “Seaside Armenia” even appeared, this migration was so widespread.
Sea and geopolitics
The countries bordering it constantly fought for influence in the region, which continues, by the way, today. At the same time, geographical names changed. At a certain stage, the renaming ended, and everyone came to a consensus that the sea is still Black, having come to a common denominator in at least this issue. In all countries with a fleet, shipping lines are printed, fairways, shallows and banks are applied to them, and the origin of the name of the Black Sea, like many other bodies of water, seafarers care much less than seasonal roses of winds, points of storms and the strength of currents. They do not even have time to think about what the sea is and why it is called that.
Where did the word "sea" come from
Linguists cannot reliably explain why the sea is called the sea, but they have several versions about this. In French it sounds "la mer", in Italian "marais", in German "meer", and it is difficult to disagree with the fact that its pronunciation in different languages has a certain similarity.
It is possible that the Russian word "sea" morphologically comes from a Hebrew consonant entity, meaning "evil." Previously, it meant any vast body of water that posed a danger to everyone who set off on a journey along its waves.
"Colored" and "black and white" seas
Interpretations of the reasons why each of the seas got its name also differ. This is especially true for “color” items. There is the Red Sea, under the color of flowering algae that inhabits it in the Suez region. True, the peoples inhabiting its coast prefer to call it reed or reed, but on world maps it is designated as Red.
Or the White Sea. Everything seems clear here, the ice sets the color, and the sky is usually the same. The Yellow Sea is obviously named after the race inhabiting its shores. And all this despite the fact that in good weather the water is the same everywhere - blue or turquoise.
Black Sea
So why is the Black Sea called the Black Sea, and in almost all languages of the world? In English this geographical concept sounds like "Black Sea", in French - "Mer Noir", in German - "Schwartz Meer", in Italian - "Marais Nero", and in translation everything is the same, black. It does not look like that at all, even during autumn and winter storms, when its color is rather dark gray with a blue tint.
Ancient Greeks and "black inhospiness"
The history of the name of the Black Sea is old. The first inhabitants of its shores, which came to mind to somehow designate their place of residence, were the Greeks. They saw other seas, the Marmara, the Mediterranean. But it was here that extremely unpleasant surprises awaited them in the form of ice on the northern coast, severe storms, as well as Scythians and Taurus, inhabitants of the Crimea, who hunted robbery. Since ancient times, troubles have been associated in people with black color, this is the version of why the sea is called the Black Sea. True, not in a literal translation. "Axinos Pontos" means the inhospitable sea, that's all. Later, recognizing it better and seeing it in different seasons, the Greeks changed their anger to mercy, and renamed Pont Aksinsky to Pont Euxinsky, that is, they gave the name the exact opposite meaning. It became hospitable. But the color remained the same.
Turkish observations of dark shades of water
So, the Greek version does not give an unambiguous explanation of why the Black Sea is called the Black Sea, so it is better to turn to other sources. "Kara-Deniz" washes the northern coast of Turkey, it has always been so, and perhaps it was the Ottomans who once gave the name to this vast reservoir. During travels to Azov, they could observe, climbing the mountains of the Caucasus, another sea that appeared in the distance. Its water seemed darker than in shallow Azov, so it turned out that you can separate the water area according to the visible border of the shades. The ancient name of the Black Sea in Turkish sounds somewhat different than the modern one, it is pronounced "Ahshaena", but the meaning is the same.
At the beginning of the first millennium, other peoples lived on the coast of the Sea of Azov, which historians conventionally call Native American tribes. In their language was the word "Temarun" (again, "black"), meaning the water surface, located further beyond the limits of the water area led by him. Perhaps they did not even think about why the sea is called the sea, and all that was unknown seemed to them to be hidden darkness, that is, black.
Or maybe it's hydrogen sulfide?
So, all toponymic assumptions are based on coloristic associations with something mysterious, unknown and dangerous. But precisely for this reason they should not be taken too seriously. No matter how dangerous the seafarer's path, it entails no more risk than sailing in the Bay of Biscay or along the northern Arctic routes. There are places on the map that cause far more gloomy associations, including color ones. It is possible that the matter is completely different.
There is another version of why the Black Sea is called the Black Sea, and it is associated with the chemical composition of the bottom layers of water. From time to time, a large number of fish die near its shores, or, to the delight of the catchers, it begins to peck very well. “Went hydrogen sulfide” - say the fishermen. And it’s not a matter of technological factors, it has always been so, and this phenomenon is exclusively natural. The abundance of reactive gas causes the darkening of all metal objects dropped into the water, whether it be anchors, other marine gear, ancient cores and guns, raised in the last century by scuba divers-archaeologists. Perhaps the solution to the mystery of why the Black Sea is called the Black lies precisely in this property, noticed by ancient merchants, who were surprised to find that their anchor suddenly acquired an unusual color for the iron and became “blued”.
Chemists believe this is the most plausible explanation. Perhaps geographers will still argue with them.