STRUCTURАL CHARACTERISTICS OF MODERN GERMAN TOPONYMS

The article is devoted to establishing the structural characteristics of toponyms based on the material of modern German, selected from the latest lexicographical and cultural studies sources. The object of the study is toponyms functioning in contemporary German-speaking countries, while the subject is their word-formation features. Through structural analysis of German toponyms, several groups were identified and analyzed: simple, non-suffixal and suffixal derivatives, shifts, compound, and multi-lexeme toponyms. These groups reflect the diversity of structural forms used in naming geographical objects. Among the most typical bases, elements such as -heim, -hausen (-haus), -leben, -hof, -hofen, -statt, -stedt, -stätten, -dorf, -wiek, -weiler (-weil), -richt, -graben, -bach, and -apa stand out. Their frequency of use indicates a systematic approach to the formation of the German toponymic system. The emergence of a large number of toponyms in the German language is associated with significant changes in the cultural, social, and historical life of the German ethnos. These changes were reflected in the development of new territories, the creation of new settlements, and the naming of large and small geographical objects. Migration processes driven by political and economic factors played an essential role in preserving naming traditions in new territories, sometimes even with the complete transfer of old toponyms. The expansion of Germans' geographical and linguistic worldview enriched the onomastic system with new word-formation models, demonstrating the dynamic development of German toponymy and its importance in cultural and linguistic spaces.