About the Origin of Some Sudanese Toponyms

The article is devoted to the analyses of several Sudanese toponyms and historical information about their origin, which until recently was transmitted orally. The study of the folklore material has shown that the toponyms of the Sudan reflect the ancient past of the country. They also show the multinational and multilingual nature of the country. Among them there are toponyms of Nubian and even earlier origin, the meaning of which is not always understood by the locals. The dominant language of the Sudan is Arabic and many toponyms are of Arabic origin. However, among the geographical names there are many words of non-Arabic origin that came from the languages of the peoples of Sudan like Fors, Beja, Nubians, etc. At the turn of the 19th–20th centuries, toponyms of Turkish, Greek and English origin appeared, that is explained by the presence of Turkish and British government officials and army officers and soldiers on the Sudanese territory. The presented material reflects the diversity of the origins of toponyms in Sudan. Geographical names allow us to trace certain stages of the country’s history, starting from ancient times to the present day. Oral tradition has preserved and continues to preserve interesting historical data on the origin of settlements of different levels, hydronyms, etc., and poses new questions for researchers, allowing for a deeper understanding of the processes of migration, development, and exploration of new territories in the southern parts of the country by Sudanese from the north, the peculiarities of seasonal movements of nomadic tribes, and the economic system.