What do the words on the map of Taimyr mean? This topic is a part of the dissertation by Larissa Stryuchkova, a leading specialist in the Taimyr Reserves. The site of the Reserves has opened a new section, which publishes the author’s study on our peninsula toponyms.
Despite the fact that the vast majority of the Putorana plateau toponyms are of Evenk (Tungus) origin, the word “Putorana” itself is interpreted ambiguously.
“Some researchers derive the meaning of this toponym from the Evenk “petere” – “to smoke”, meaning “cloudy, covered with clouds”, others refer it to the word “kuta” – “swamp”, because, most likely, the name of the plateau is transferred from the Great Khantai lake, which sounded like Kutarmo, Kutarama in the past”, writes Larissa Sryuchkova. This, however, does not quite correspond to the realities of the plateau. Yes, there are swamps, but this is not the main characteristic of the mountain system and the Great Khantai Lake. Older generations of the village with the same name, Evenki, also called it Putaramo. Both Putarmo and Payturma are found in the archives.
Some scholars attribute the formation of this toponym to the Yukagir language, where “anaa” means mountains, and “puran” or “puren” means “top”, “high”.
Text: Olga Polyanskaya, Photo: zapovedsever.ru
