Hungarian traces in place-names in Bashkiria

Gyóni, Gábor (2008) Hungarian traces in place-names in Bashkiria. Acta Ethnographica Hungarica, 53 (2). pp. 279-305. ISSN 1216-9803

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Abstract

The Russian literature — in contrast with the majority of Hungarian researchers — regards it as a fact that there are place-names of Hungarian origin in Bashkiria. An overview of the literature and sources provides confirmation of this opinion. Magas, Mart, Ar, Bisz (Visz), Izes are almost certainly place-names of Hungarian origin in Bashkiria; and the same could perhaps apply to other place-names. The argument presented here not only takes into account etymological considerations but also places special emphasis on finding toponymic parallels in early Hungarian place-names and on confirmation in other sources and disciplines of the presence of Hungarians in the given geographical region. The presence of place-names of Hungarian origin in Bashkiria — together with other considerations — indicates that one of the ancient Hungarian homelands was in the territory of today’s Bashkiria (probably up to the 9th century). As regards the “Bashkir—Hungarian problem”, it can be said that Hungarians did not participate in a mass scale in the ethnogenesis of the Bashkirs who appeared in the Volga-Ural region in the 9th century, but we have sound reason to suppose that small groups of Hungarians remained behind after the 9th century and were eventually assimilated as Bashkirs.

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