Old Slavic Toponymy of Novgorod. Review of: Vasilyev, V. L. (2012). Slavianskie toponimicheskie drevnosti Novgorodskoi zemli [Novgorod Slavic Toponymic Antiquities]. Moscow: Rukopisnye pamiatniki Drevnei Rusi.

The article reviews the book “Novgorod Slavic Toponymic Antiquities” by V. L. Vasilyev which studies the problems of structural typology, etymology and ethno-historical interpretation of Old Novgorod geographic names. The reviewer considers the book as being conceptual, profound, methodologically sophisticated, analyzing rich onomastic data and offering valuable and well-grounded etymologies. One of the most important results of the reviewed work is the reconstruction and systematization of multiple anthroponyms which were in use in Novgorod region until the end of the Old Russian period and later forgotten. The reviewer shares the author’s opinion that the archaic place names derived from anthroponyms, if compared with those derived from common names, provide the most reliable basis for generalized chronologization and ethno-historical interpretation of linguistic strata. Giving a high appraisal of the typological argumentation of V. L. Vasilyev’s etymologies, the reviewer, however, suggests the Slavic glosses be supplemented with other linguistic parallels: Germanic (for the names in -mir-/-mer-, One-/Оnо-), Celtic (for the toponymic stem Velyn, Volyn), Iranian (for the name Khilovo), Baltic (for the toponymic stem Vodos-) and others. The reviewer also suggests alternative motivational and etymological solutions for the names Budogoshch, Zhdazherino, Imovolozhe, Seslavl, Utorgosh, Khuba, Chaslovitsa, Cheslovle, etc