The Fergana Region of Uzbekistan forms part of the fertile Fergana Valley, one of Central Asia’s most densely populated and historically layered areas. Its place-name system reflects interactions between Turkic, Iranian, Arabic and Russian languages, as well as the region’s complex physical geography. While most studies of Fergana toponymy have focused on oikonyms (settlement names), scholars note that local hydronyms and oronyms, though fewer in number, preserve some of the oldest lexical and cultural layers.pedagoglar.org+1 This article surveys the main water- and mountain-related place names of Fergana Region and analyses their structural and semantic types. Drawing on Uzbek toponymic theory (S. Qorayev, T. Nafasov, N. Uluqov and others) and on explanatory dictionaries of Uzbek place names, the study highlights productive word-formation models such as “colour + water term” (Qorasuv, Oqsoy), “topographic feature + hydronymic formant” (-soy, -suv, -ariq) and “relief term + attributive adjective” in oronyms (Qiziltepa, Ko‘ktepa, Qaratau).Ziyo+2uztrj.uz+2 The article also outlines the main historical-etymological layers—ancient Iranian, early Turkic and new Uzbek/Russian—observable in Fergana hydronyms and oronyms. The results demonstrate that even in a predominantly lowland region, hydronyms and oronyms function as important markers of historical settlement, land use, ethnic composition and linguistic change.

Fergana Region, hydronyms, oronyms, toponymy

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