HISTORICAL CHANGES IN THE NAMES OF RIVERS AND LAKES IN UZBEKISTAN

10 Vol. 5, No. 11 – Special Issue (EJAR) ISSN: 2181-2020 LPTIENP International Scientific-Practice Conference on “Linguistics and Pedagogical Technologies: International Experience and National Practice” Denau, November 20, 2025 in-academy.uz/index.php/ejar HISTORICAL CHANGES IN THE NAMES OF RIVERS AND LAKES IN UZBEKISTAN Muradova Sevara Zoir qizi Teacher at Denau Institute of Enterpreneurship and Pedagogy [email protected] Po‘latova Marjona O‘rol qizi Student at Denau Entrepreneurship and Pedagogy Institute [email protected] https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17626653 Annotation: This thesis investigates the historical evolution of the names of major rivers and lakes in Uzbekistan, focusing on how the hydronyms (names of water-bodies) reflect linguistic, ethnocultural and political changes over time. The study examines selected examples — chiefly the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers, and selected lakes — tracing their ancient names and their transformation into modern Uzbek designations. Keywords: Hydronyms, toponyms, Uzbekistan, Amu Darya, Syr Darya, river names, lake names, name change, Central Asia, onomastics. Annotatsiya: Ushbu ilmiy ish O‘zbekiston hududidagi asosiy daryo va ko‘llar nomlarining tarixiy o‘zgarishini tahlil qiladi hamda ularning (gidronimlarning) lingvistik, etnomadaniy va siyosiy omillar bilan bog‘liqligini ochib beradi. Tadqiqot Amudaryo va Sirdaryo daryolari hamda ayrim ko‘llar misolida qadimgi nomlarning zamonaviy o‘zbek nomlariga aylanish jarayonini kuzatadi. Kalit so‘zlar: Gidronimlar, toponimlar, O‘zbekiston, Amudaryo, Sirdaryo, daryo nomlari, ko‘l nomlari, nomlarning o‘zgarishi, Markaziy Osiyo, onomastika. Аннотация: Данное исследование посвящено исторической эволюции названий основных рек и озёр Узбекистана и анализу того, как гидронимы отражают лингвистические, этнокультурные и политические изменения на протяжении веков. На примере рек Амударья и Сырдарья, а также некоторых озёр, рассматриваются древние наименования и их превращение в современные узбекские формы. Ключевые слова: Гидронимы, топонимы, Узбекистан, Амударья, Сырдарья, названия рек, названия озёр, изменение названий, Центральная Азия, ономастика. Introduction Water-bodies such as rivers and lakes have long been central to human settlement, economy and culture. In the territory of modern Uzbekistan, waters like the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers supplied irrigation, transport and marked boundaries of ancient states. The names of these rivers and lakes are not static: they change over time in response to linguistic, political, and cultural shifts. This thesis explores how the names of rivers and lakes in Uzbekistan have changed historically, and what these changes tell us about the region’s past. Hydronyms (names of waters) are recognized as among the most ancient toponyms, often preserving archaic linguistic layers. According to onomastic research, hydronyms carry ethnographic, geographic and historical information. In the Uzbek context, toponymic studies highlight the need to analyse micro-hydronyms alongside major rivers. The present study narrows to major rivers and selected lakes, tracing their name-change trajectories, situating them in the broader Central Asian context and in Uzbekistan specifically. Result and Discussions The Amu Darya river, one of the largest in Central Asia and an important water-body in Uzbekistan, has had multiple names through history. According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, it was called the “Oxus River” by the Greeks and Romans. Medieval Arabic sources refer to it as “Jayḥūn” or “Dzhaykhun”. The etymology of the modern name “Amu Darya” is commonly traced to the 11 Vol. 5, No. 11 – Special Issue (EJAR) ISSN: 2181-2020 LPTIENP International Scientific-Practice Conference on “Linguistics and Pedagogical Technologies: International Experience and National Practice” Denau, November 20, 2025 in-academy.uz/index.php/ejar medieval city of Āmul (now Türkmenabat) + Persian “daryā” (sea/river). Other historical names cited include Vakṣu (Sanskrit), Yakhsha/Vakhsha (Avestan) and Okos/Okux (as variant). Thus, the sequence might be summarised as: Oxus (Greek/Latin) → Jayḥūn (Arabic) → Amu Darya (modern Turkic‐Persian). Each name layer reflects a shift in dominant culture or language: Hellenistic, Islamic Arab/Persian, Turkic and Soviet/Uzbek.The Syr Darya, flowing through Uzbekistan, also yields multiple historical names. Classical Greek sources refer to it as the Jaxartes (Ἰαξάρτης). In later sources, names such as Seyhun/Jaykhun (in Persian/Arabic usage) appear. The modern name “Syr Darya” appears to be of Turkic-Persian origin, where “darya” means river/sea. The origin of “Syr” is debated linguistically; some sources link it to the Turkic tribe Shir inhabiting the river banks. Thus the name evolution again parallels cultural transitions: from Greek (Jaxartes) → Islamic Persian/Arabic (Jaykhun) → Turkic‐Persian (Syr Darya). Although the major focus is on rivers, lake names also reflect historical transformations. For instance, the large endorheic Aral Sea (though technically a sea) in Uzbekistan was fed by these rivers, and historical sources mention it in relation to river names. Hydronymic studies of Uzbekistan report the existence of thousands of smaller lakes, reservoirs and artificial water-bodies, many of which bore various local Turkic, Persian or Russian names. For example, the name “Aydarkul” (Lake Aydar) arose during Soviet-era irrigation works, demonstrating a more recent layer of naming tied to industrial/irrigation history. Causes and Patterns of Name Change A number of patterns and causes underlie the historical name changes of rivers and lakes in Uzbekistan: 1. Linguistic layering: As controlling or dominant languages shift (Sogdian → Persian → Turkic → Russian → Uzbek), hydronyms change accordingly. For example, “Jayḥūn” reflects ArabicPersian influence; “Amu Darya” reflects Persian “darya” + local city name. 2. Geographic and hydrological change: Changes in course, irrigation, reservoirs or artificial lakes lead to new names. For example, newly formed lakes (e.g., Aydarkul) receive modern toponyms. 3. Etymological re-interpretation: Some names get re-interpreted in local languages, leading to semantic shifts. For example, “Qashqadaryo” (in southern Uzbekistan) is explained as meaning “river lost in the sands” in local context. The change in names of rivers and lakes in Uzbekistan provides multiple insights: 1. Cultural succession: The multiple names of Amu Darya and Syr Darya reflect the cultural and linguistic succession of Central Asia: Hellenistic, Sassanian/Islamic, Turkic, Russian. 2. Territorial and hydrological identity: The naming of water-bodies has served as markers of boundaries (e.g., Oxus as frontier of Greater Iran). The modern names reflect Turkic-Persian synthesis that corresponds to Uzbekistan’s geography. 3. Research significance: Hydronymic studies in Uzbekistan remain under-explored; recent scholarship argues for deeper treatment of micro-hydronyms in regional linguistics and history. Conclusion This research has traced how the names of rivers and lakes in the territory of modern Uzbekistan have changed over time, reflecting broader linguistic, cultural and political transformations. The major rivers — notably the Amu Darya and Syr Darya — exemplify how hydronyms carry the imprint of Hellenistic, Persian, Arabic, Turkic and Soviet naming layers. Lakes and other water-bodies likewise manifest naming changes correlated with human intervention (irrigation, reservoirs) and national standardisation. Understanding these name changes enhances our grasp of Uzbekistan’s historical geography, cultural strata and the role of hydronyms as markers of identity and change. Future research should delve into lesser-known micro-hydronyms across Uzbekistan, exploring their etymologies and linking them to local histories and languages. Such toponymic investigations reveal 12 Vol. 5, No. 11 – Special Issue (EJAR) ISSN: 2181-2020 LPTIENP International Scientific-Practice Conference on “Linguistics and Pedagogical Technologies: International Experience and National Practice” Denau, November 20, 2025 in-academy.uz/index.php/ejar the deep, layered story of the land and its inhabitants, offering a unique lens through which to view the dynamic interplay of language, power, and environment. The waters of Uzbekistan continue to flow through a landscape rich with history, their names a living testament to the civilizations that have thrived along their banks. Ultimately, this onomastic heritage serves as a vital record, preserving cultural memory in the very geography of the nation. References: 1. “The Amu Darya River, the foremost river in Uzbekistan and Central Asia.” OREXCA: Uzbekistan Nature – Rivers & Lakes. Accessed. orexca.com 2. “The Syr Darya River, one of the major rivers of Uzbekistan and Central Asia.” OREXCA: Uzbekistan Nature – Rivers & Lakes. Accessed. orexca.com 3. Majidova, S. “History of the Study of Hydronyms.” Galaxy International Interdisciplinary Research Journal, Vol. 9 No.12 (2021): 676-680. giirj.com 4. Axmedova, U.Y. & Axmedova, M.U. “Research on Hydronyms and Their Importance.” Eurasian Scientific Herald, Vol. 2 (2021): 19-22. geniusjournals.org 5. Muradova Sevara Zoir qizi. (2025). LINGUISTIC ANALYSIS OF THE ENGLISH RIVERNAMES OF TWO COUNTIES. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15179409 6. “Lakes of Uzbekistan.” CAWater-Info.pdf. Accessed. cawater-info.net 7. Begmatov, Azizbek T. “A Comparative Study of Toponyms, Anthroponyms, and Other Onomastic Units in Uzbek and English.” American Journal of Education and Learning.