Information about the author:
Elena S. Rufova
Elena S. Rufova, PhD in Philology, Associate Professor, Head of the Department of Oriental Languages, Institute of Modern Languages and International Studies, North-Eastern Federal University, Belinskogo 58, 677000 Yakutsk, Russia.
ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1276-7087
E-mail:
Abstract:
This article deals with the problem of standardization of Russian geographical names in Japan. The relevance of the study is due to the need for correct transfer of phonetic, semantic and written forms of Russian toponyms into Japanese, not only for use in guidebooks, tourist booklets and websites, but also for the exact location of the geographical object. The texts of Japanese tourist websites JTB (Japan Tourist Bureau), H.I.S., KNT (Kinki Nippon Tourist) were used as research material. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the fact that Russian place names are considered for the first time in the context of the standardization of toponyms in Japan, the difficulties of transferring Russian toponyms into Japanese are revealed. The study reveals different spellings of Russian place names in the texts of Japanese tourist websites when transmitting voiced/deaf consonant, voiceless vowels, softness of the consonant, which can lead to misunderstanding, and is an important component of international communication and understanding of different cultures.
Keywords: geographical names, toponyms, standardization of toponyms, text, meaning, significance.