Etymology of the Names 𝑍𝑎𝑔𝑜𝑟𝑎, 𝐵𝑒𝑑𝑒𝑘, and 𝐵𝑒𝑑𝑒𝑐ℎ𝑘𝑎 near Stara Zagora

Authors:

Pages: 342-354
DOI: https://doi.org/10.54664/DNQV7960

Abstract:

Toponymic name Zagora is practically absent over the vast territories inhabited in the past and recently by Slavic population excluding the Bulgarian land. In our communication five historical areas with such toponimic names are listed on the territory of the First and Second Bulgarian Kingdoms. These are: Tervel’s Zagora, Zagora around the town of Melnik, Zagora around the town of Belogradchik, Zagoria (Zagori hori) in Northern Pindus mountain, and Zagora around the capital Tarnovo. To these, we can add the region of Zagura (VI century) placed in the North-Western Carpathians and inhabited by early Bulgarians, as well as areas Zahra-i Dobruca (Zagora in Dobruja), Paroraia (“Trans-mountain” in Greek) in the Strandzha mountain and the former Bulgarian region of Rashka later called Serbian Zagora (XII century). Taking into account the predominant border location of the mentioned areas with the Bulgarian name Zagora, we assume kinship of this name with the early Persian šahr “subordinate country, newly annexed province”. The names of Bedechka river and of the mountain peaks Bedek and Beter are all known for being very windy. Hence, the semantic root “bed”, common for these names, is derived from the rare Old Bulgarian word “bad” “wind” which has strong kinship with similar Iranian words. The presence of such early Bulgarian appellations in the Stara Zagora vicinity is related to the information of Theophylact of Ohrid and Blazius Mili about the early occupation of the Beroe region by the newly established Bulgarian state.

Keywords:

Zagora region; Proto-Bulgarians; Stara Zagora city; Bedechka.

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