Moscow is one of the largest cities in the world, which was founded in the XII century. This huge and incredible beautiful metropolis did not always have the status of a capital, but received it only four hundred years after its foundation, uniting the entire state under its leadership. Despite the rich history of the city, which celebrated its 870th anniversary, the origin of the name “Moscow” still causes a tremendous amount of controversy. Let's try to understand this topic, and also consider several interpretations of the word.
Toponymy of Moscow
The earliest mention of Moscow is dated 1147 (Ipatiev Chronicle). However, scientists involved in the field of archeology were able to find evidence that the first settlement on the site where the modern capital of the Russian Federation is now located appeared long before the annals were written. Therefore, to take this date as a reference point in the history of the city would be fundamentally wrong.
Not only historians, but experts in the field of toponymy, who rely on facts and name the specific date of the founding of the capital, are ready to argue with archaeologists on April 4, 1147. It was on this day that the meeting of Novgorod-Seversky Prince Svyatoslav Olgovich and Rostov-Suzdal Prince Yuri Dolgoruky took place, which took place in a modest-sized settlement, located in an impassable forest. The chronicler, present at the conversation, wrote: “And the shed Stoslav and taking the rum above the people of Porotva. And so did the squad of Stoslavl, and sending Gurgia a speech: “Come to me, brother, to Moscow.”
Today it is impossible to say whether this chronicle speaks specifically about the territory on which the modern capital of Russia is located, or describes an area of a more global scale. But it is absolutely obvious that this toponym is based on the hydronym - the name of the Moscow River. This fact is present in the monument of writing, which refers to the XVII century., Namely in the story "On the beginning of the reigning great city of Moscow."
Of course, the work contains many fictional stories that have no relation to reality, but there are things that have a completely logical explanation. For example, from the pages of this work you can find out that the emergence of Moscow and the origin of its name are directly related to the water artery on which the city was built. Prince Yuri himself, having rode up the mountain and looking around, said that since the river is Moscow, then the city will be so called.
Moscow is unique
Cognitive literature written for children explains the origin of the name of the city of Moscow using this very hypothesis - borrowing a name from a river. Similar cases when a locality receives the name of the hydronym are often found in history. For example, cities such as Oryol, Voronezh, Vyazma, Tarusa can be cited. However, in most cases, the river that gave the city its name takes on a diminutive form, for example, Oryol became Orlik and Penza became Penyatka. This is done in order to avoid homonymy (coincidence). But the case with the name of the city of Moscow is unique. Here the word river is present in the name itself, performing the function of a kind of suffix.
Finno-Ugric version
One of the very first hypotheses, interpreting where the name “Moscow” came from, indicated that the word belongs to the Finno-Ugric language group. It is worth noting the fact that this version had a huge number of supporters. This assumption is very logical, since archaeological excavations have shown that long before the founding of the capital, namely in the early Iron Age, Finno-Ugric tribes lived on its territory.
This version of the origin of the name “Moscow” is explained by the fact that the word can be divided into two parts: “mosk” and “va”. The particle “wa” is interpreted in Russian as “wet”, “water” or “century”. The names of the rivers, on the banks of which Finno-Ugric tribes lived, as a rule, ended precisely on “va”, for example, Sosva, Shkava, Lysva. However, the scientists did not manage to find the exact translation of the first part of the word, which looks like “mosk”,.
Komi tribes
But if we turn to the Komi language, then we can easily translate the particle “mosk”, which will mean “cow” or “heifer”. Similar names are often found in world toponymy, for example, German Oxenfurt or British Oxford have a literal translation that sounds like a “bull ford”. This hypothesis, indicating the origin of the name of the city of Moscow, was supported by the talented and famous Russian historian V.O. Klyuchevsky. It was after his recognition of the viability of this version that the assumption gained particular popularity.
But after careful analysis, it was found that the Komi peoples never lived off the banks of the Moscow River. The theory was subjected to serious and constructive criticism after it was proved that there are no similar names for many thousands of kilometers between the Moscow and the Urals ranges of rivers ending with the prefix “va”.
Meryansk origin
Scientists continued to search for at least the slightest hint of the origin of the name "Moscow". The main task was to decipher the “mosk” particle, and the famous geographer S.K. Kuznetsov also worked on it. The researcher was fluent in several languages at once, belonging to the Finno-Ugric language group. He suggested that the particle "Mosk" has a Meryan origin and in the original sounds like a "mask". This word is interpreted in Russian as “bear”, and the prefix “va” is the Meryan word “ava”, which translates as “spouse”, “mother”. Thus, the Moskva River is “Medveditsa” or “Medved-Rechka”. Some historical facts indicate that this version of the origin of the name Moscow has a right to exist. After all, here really lived the tribes of the people of Meria, as evidenced by the ancient Russian chronicle "The Tale of Bygone Years." But this assumption can also be called into question.
Not in favor of this hypothesis, pointing to the history of the name "Moscow", says that the word "mask" has Mordovian-Erzyan and Mari roots. These languages appeared on the territory of our state only in the XIV-XV centuries. The word was borrowed from the Slavic peoples and initially sounded like a “sword” (she-bear). Also a lot of questions are caused by the lack of hydronyms ending in “va” in the Moscow region (except for the Moskva River). After all, historical facts indicate that the peoples who lived in one or another territory leave behind a lot of the same toponyms. For example, in the Vladimir and Ryazan regions there are a number of rivers whose names end with “ur” and “mustache”: Tynus, Kistrus, Bachur, Dardur, Ninur, etc.
Suomi language
The third hypothesis, pointing to the Finno-Ugric origin of the name "Moscow", suggests that the particle "mosk" is related to the Suomi language, and the prefix "va" is borrowed from the Komi people. If you believe this version, then “mosk” means “dark”, “black”, and “wa” - “river”, “stream”, “water”. The inconsistency of the hypothesis explaining where the name “Moscow” came from is indicated by the illogical binding of languages of different peoples that are distant from each other.
Version of Iranian-Scythian origin
Among the researchers who tried to shed light on the history of the name of the city of Moscow were those who believed that the word belongs to peoples living far beyond the Oka basin. For example, academician A. I. Sobolevsky, who was engaged in scientific activities at the beginning of the twentieth century, suggested that the toponym came from the Avestan word “ama”, which translates as “strong”. Avestian language belongs to the Iranian language group. It was used in the XII-VI centuries. BC.
However, the hypothesis of A.I. Sobolevsky did not find supporters among other scientists, since it had a lot of weaknesses. For example, Scythian tribes speaking the Iranian language never lived in the territory located near the Moskva River basin. And also in this region there are no large water arteries having a similar value or a similar way of formation. It is known that A. I. Sobolevsky believed that the name "Moscow" is translated as "mustard." However, the calm metropolitan river cannot be compared with mountain rivers, on the banks of which the Scythians lived.
Hybrid version
In the first half of the twentieth century, academician L. S. Berg, based on the yaphetic theory of N. Ya. Marr, suggested that the “mosk” root was borrowed from the Mosskhs living in the Caucasus, and the prefix “va” was taken from the Finno-Ugric language group. However, the scientist could not find a single historical fact that would confirm his hypothesis.
Version N. I. Shishkin
Where the name "Moscow" originates from, the brilliant scientist N. I. Shishkin decided to figure it out, who took the hybrid version of Berg as a basis. In 1947, he suggested that both parts of the word ("mosk" and "wa") refer to yaphetic languages. This theory allows us to interpret the hydronym "Moscow" as a "tribal Moskh river" or "Moskh river." But no one could find historical facts confirming this version. Also, no linguistic analysis was conducted without which no hypothesis has the right to exist.
On the origin of the name "Moscow" for students
The most plausible hypotheses are considered, pointing to the Slavic roots of the naming of the Moscow River. Unlike previous interpretations, which have absolutely no confirmation, and which are based solely on conjectures, the Slavic origin of the name “Moscow” was subjected to complex linguistic analyzes conducted by famous scientists. The most convincing theories used in school curricula were presented by such researchers as S.P. Obnogorsky, P. Ya. Chernykh, G.A. Ilyinsky and Polish Slavist T. Ler-Splavinsky. How can students tell briefly about the origin of Moscow and the origin of its name? Let us voice the version set forth in the writings of the scientists listed above.
They began to call the city of Moscow only in the XIV century. Until that time, the toponym sounded like Mosca. “Mosk” in translation from Old Russian means “swamp”, “humidity”, “viscous” or “marshy”. “Sk” in the root could be replaced by the prefix “zg”. Many modern words and phrases came from “mosk”, for example, dank weather, which means rainy, cold weather. To this conclusion G. A. Ilyinsky came.
P. Ya. Chernykh put forward a hypothesis about the dialectic character of the word “Muscovites”. The researcher was sure that this word was used by the Vyatichi Slavs. Their closest relatives - Krivichi - had a similar meaning word, which was pronounced "valga". Some scholars suggest that it was from him that the Volga hydronym originated. The fact that “Muscovites” means “moisture” finds multiple confirmations in different languages in which the Slavs spoke. This is evidenced by the names of the rivers in the basins of which our ancestors lived, for example, Moscow, Moskovia, Moskovka, Moskovets.
In the Slovak language there is the common word "Moscow", meaning "bread taken from the fields in bad weather" or "wet grain bread". In Lithuanian you can find the verb “mazgoti”, which translates as “rinse” or “mash”, in Latvian - the verb “moskat” - “wash”. All this indicates that the version that interprets the name “Moscow” as “marshy”, “wet”, “marshy” has every reason for existence. Perhaps our ancestors saw just such a place on which the great city was then founded.
There is an assumption that the Moskva River got its name when people first settled in its upper reaches. Indeed, it is to this day that swampy, impassable areas are found to this day. We know that once these places were called "Moskvoretskaya Puddle", which are mentioned in the "Book of the Big Drawing", written in 1627. So the author speaks of the source of the river: "And the Moscow River flowed out of the swamp, along the Vyazemsky road, beyond Mozhaisk, thirty miles or more."
Some assumptions pointing to the Slavic roots of the hydronym "Moscow" are not sufficiently substantiated. So, for example, Z. Dolenga-Khodakovsky, who was engaged in scientific work at the beginning of the 19th century, put forward his own hypothesis of the origin of the hydronym. In his opinion, “Moscow” is an old version of the word “bridges”. This is the name of the river through which a large number of bridges were built. This version was supported by the famous scientist involved in the study of Moscow, I.E. Zabelin.
There are a lot of folk etymologies that briefly talk about the origin of the name of the city of Moscow. Some writers and poets used them in their works, giving the legends a poetic form. So, for example, in D. Yeryomin’s book “Kremlin Hill” there is a poetic interpretation of the toponym. The author, describing the death of the legendary Ilya of Muromets, mentions his last words:
- “As if a sigh passed:“ We must forge the power! ”
And the second came - only "the power of Kova ...".
The third time I reached - only "Mos ... kova".
So the river "Moscow" began to be called .
Finno-Ugric and Balto-Slavic origin
Slavic hypotheses indicating the origin of the toponym have their weaknesses, flaws. Proponents of this version have always approached the name of the city as a simple word, absolutely not paying attention to the cultural and historical component. Most researchers who support this hypothesis believe that the Moscow River did not have a hydronym until the Slavic peoples began to live on its banks. However, everything could be completely different.
If we turn to archaeological excavations that continue to this day, then we will know that in the river basin the first Slavic settlements existed already in the second half of the first millennium AD. However, before them (in the third millennium BC) Finnish-speaking tribes lived here, which fairly densely populated the territory. Also, a huge number of historical monuments were discovered that were left by tribes belonging to the Volosovo, Dyakovo and Fatyanovo cultures that lived in these places until the middle of the first millennium AD.
The Slavs who moved to these lands most likely retained the hydronym, making some adjustments. The same thing happened with other settlements and rivers, partially retaining the former name. Hydronyms were modified before the arrival of the Slavic tribes. That is why in such words as “Moscow”, one can discern the Finno-Ugric or Baltic roots.
The Slavic version looks quite convincing if we consider it exclusively from the linguistic side, however, historical facts, which archaeologists regularly find, cast doubt on this theory. In order to consider the hypothesis reliable, it must have both linguistic and historical confirmations.
Research continues
Adherents of the Slavic version used materials from the Baltic language group as evidence. The Russian language has much in common with Latvian and Lithuanian, which forced researchers to reconsider most of the geographical names. This led to the emergence of a hypothesis stating that there previously existed a Baltic-Slavic language group, whose tribes gave the name "Moscow". A photo of the Balto-Slavic relic found by archaeologists in the territory of the modern capital is a direct confirmation of this.
A detailed analysis of the hydronym of the river was made by the famous linguist scientist V.N. Toporov. His work had such convincing facts that it was even published in several popular science publications, for example, Baltika.
According to V. N. Toporov, the particle “wa”, which is in the word “Moscow”, should be considered not only as its end or the common noun. This element is the main part of the word. The researcher points out that the rivers, in the names of which there is a particle “va”, are found both near Moscow and in the Baltic and Dnieper. Among the water arteries that flow into the Oka basin, there are also those that end in Ava and Va, for example, Koshtva, Khotva, Nigva, Smedva, Protva, Smedva, Izmostva, Shkva, Loknava. A similar similarity indicates that in hydronyms there may be words belonging to the Baltic language group.
VN Toporov is sure that the “mosk” root has much in common with the Baltic mask. In the same way as in the Russian language, this root means “slushy”, “wet”, “liquid”, “rotten”. In both language groups, “mosk” can include the concepts of “beat”, “tap”, “crush”, “run away”, “go”. There are a lot of similar examples when words are similar not only in sound but also in meaning, in Russian, Latvian and Lithuanian. For example, in the famous dictionary of V. Dahl, you can find the word “moskat”, which means “knocking”, “banging”, as well as the saying “can” - “crush”, “beat”. So - it is impossible to exclude the Baltic-Slavic parallel in the name of the river and the city. If this version is correct, then the age of Moscow is several times higher than that indicated in all history textbooks.