Tishkov A.A. “STEPPE” AS A GEOGRAPHICAL TERM: ITS ORIGIN, EVOLUTION, DISTRIBUTION // Arid Ecosystems. 2025. Vol. 31. № 2 (103). P. 4-12. | PDF

In this article we discuss the genesis and transformation of the concept of “steppe” in Russian geography. It is shown that the original nature of the term came from the relief devoid of trees, but generally corresponded to the “ancestral steppe homeland” of Indo-Europeans and their languages. We revealed the dualistic nature of this concept, which is reflected in its interpretation in ancient literary and scientific sources. Additionally, we traced the variety of meanings of “steppe” as an orographic concept, its relation to the concept of “field”, and the peculiarity of is transition to the landscape concept. For the first time, it was attempted to explain etymology using the results of an interdisciplinary synthesis of various works of geneticists, linguists and archaeologists about the time of the formation and distribution of Indo-Europeans.

Keywords: steppe, wild field, semantics, etymological origin, Indo-European languages, steppe hypothesis.

DOI: 10.24412/1993-3916-2025-2-4-12

EDN: CSWEDY