Qar / Qare / Qarā (An exploration of the roots and meanings of several toponym)

Kahrizi, Khalil

doi:10.22103/jis.2025.25523.2738

Qar / Qare / Qarā (An exploration of the roots and meanings of several toponym)

Document Type : Scientific

Author

Khalil Kahrizi

Department of Persian Language and Literature, Faculty of Language and Literature, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran.

10.22103/jis.2025.25523.2738

Abstract

Purpose: With the prevalence of a foreign language in a territory, not only are new words added to the vocabulary of that language, but also a number of words blend with foreign language terms due to phonetic similarities. This type of transformation can be observed in several Iranian words in contact with Arabic and Turkish languages, and it is particularly traceable in place names. Some ancient Iranian place names have merged with Arabic and Turkish words and have ultimately been considered non-Iranian

Method and Research: One of the frequently encountered instances of this issue involves toponyms that include one of the forms "قر," "قره," or "قرا." Generally, these words and toponyms that contain one of these three forms are perceived as Turkish. Studies show that with the spread of the Turkish language in Iran, the words "قُر" meaning muddy and swampy, "گَر" meaning hill and mountain, and "خوره" and "کوره" in toponyms have blended with the Turkish word "قره" and its other forms, leading to the assumption that all these toponyms are Turkish
Findings and Conclusions: In this article, by examining place names that contain the words "قر," "قره," and "قرا," an effort is made to recover the ancient forms of these toponyms and discuss their meanings and origins.

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