On Identifying Ethnonymic Elements in Certain Contemporary Tuvan Surnames That Differ from the Names of Well-known Clan Groups

ББК 63.214(2) УДК 929.52:81’373.232

Abstract

The Tuvans, who had previously been unfamiliar with the concept of surnames, first encountered this phenomenon during the passport registration campaigns of the 1940s. The surname structure among the Tuvans during the period of the Tuvan People’s Republic (TPR) was formed on the basis of the names of Tuvan clan groups and their subdivisions — that is, ethnonyms. Surnames of ethnonymic origin made it possible to identify individuals in relation to their clan affiliation. The Soviet-style passportization introduced various models for the formation of surnames. In addition to surnames derived from ethnonyms, it was also proposed to use Tuvan personal names as the basis for family names. All known designations of major clan groups from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries became the foundation of family surnames and continue to function within the contemporary Tuvan surname system. However, in the current surname composition, the majority of bearers have surnames derived from personal names. A notable issue has been the disappearance of certain ethnonyms of clan and subclan groups from general use. It is assumed that some ethnonyms did not vanish entirely but were transformed into surnames that are mistakenly classified as being based on personal names. It is therefore possible that a portion of surnames considered to originate from personal names, in fact, have ethnonymic roots. Accordingly, this article attempts to examine specific contemporary surnames that appear to have developed from personal names in order to identify possible ethno-nymic elements within them.