Informal microtoponymy of Bologoye town (field materials, 2004-2010)

Abstract

The paper dwells upon microtoponymic landscape of Bologoye town (Tver region), employing the field material recorded by the Interuniversity Folklore and Anthropological Expedition in 2004-2010. The paper lists informal names of urban districts, buildings, factories and other objects. The author comments upon different interpretations of origins of these names as suggested by the informants (some of these interpretations are constructed on the principle of folk etymology), which reveals some parallels to these microtoponyms in informal speech of other settlements’ citizens. The paper presents the microtoponymic landscape of Bologoye town via non-official microtoponymy - district, institution, street and building names, but the main focus of the research is not the names per se but the interpretation of toponymic data and relevant plots. Therefore, the paper lists explanations of place names (including folk etymology) where possible. The data shows the varied genesis of urban microtoponyms and their folk interpretations along with relevant influence of local urban specifics.