CHERNIGOV AS A PRE-SLAVIC NAME OF AN ANCIENT RUSSIAN CITY
The article discusses the etymology of Chernigov. With reference to the previous research, it has been stated that the Old Russian community was influenced by the Baltic language environment. In this context, it has been found out that Chernigov has a Baltic etymology. It is derived from the word kernike, which is combined with the possessive suffix - ов . The meaning of the toponym is associated with the low mountainous terrain, on which the city was founded. The analysis suggests that the Slavization of the toponym took place during the first palatalization.