Читать книгу The Origin of the Planet’s Toponyms - Alexander Tokiy - Страница 13

About the “mountain beginning” say protoroots “ay” [aɪ] and “ya”. They are often found in the names of mountains, ridges or mountain rivers. The combination of the sounds “i” [j] and “a” is formed when we looking up. If a person raises his head at the same time when pronouncing any sounds, then the vowels – first, the “a” sound come out unhindered. But as soon as the trachea bends, interrupting the air, a “y” sound appears. From this movement of the head two ancient protoroots appeared: “ai” is a movement up, “ia” is a movement down. Or simply: “ai”—at the top, “ia”—from top to the bottom.

There is a beautiful example to understand how words appeared in ancient times – this is the English word “ice”, consisting of two roots: “ai” and “s”. The first signified upward movement, the second is water. Where “above” could be water? Only in the mountains, on icy snow-capped peaks. Therefore, the word “ice”—even without translation means “mountain water” frozen on the tops. Protoroot “ai” gave the name of the white [waɪt] color. Where could the ancient people see the white color? Only on the snow-capped peaks of high mountains.

For some peoples, “ai” is the moon. When our ancestors looked at the moon with their heads up, the same “ai” sound was heard. The moon has been worshipped for thousands of years. It may be recalled that the biblical Sarah, born in Sumer, was named Sar-Ai, which meant “the earth watered with water, fertilized under the moon.” Subsequently, in Egypt, Sarah changed her faith, and they began to call her Sar-Ra, where “ra” is the sun.

Toponyms also tell us about the downward movement, when it is a descent from a mountain or deep hollows on the surface of the ground. It is because of the property of swamp bogs to suck people. Because of that the name of Baba Yaga appeared. “Yaga” is “ya-ga” – the way down. Our fabulous grandmother used to be a grandfather – an elder of the tribe – “baba”, whose duties included making a sacrifice. It was one of the oldest traditions of natural (or rather artificial) selection, when sick and unviable tribesmen were sacrificed to swamp fires. Therefore, the ancient Indo-European word “agni” has two meanings: both fire and sacrifice at the same time. Thousands of years later, the familiar “grandchildren” of Baba Yaga, “yag-monas”, “hegemons”, “igimons” and unscrupulous “maniacs” appeared. The name Yahweh also comes from very ancient beliefs, when sacrifice was not so much a cult rite as a condition of survival.

Protoroot “ya” formed words such as yama, yasnyi (clear), yakor’ (anchor), yati (clear), yamega (seam in a sheepskin coat or fishing nets), and others. This protoroot found in the names Yokohama or Rambouillet, but more often simultaneously with protoroot “ay/ai”. For example, Sayans (s-ai-ya-na), Hawaii (ga-v-ai-ya) or our Crimean Aya (ai-ya), literally “up and down”.