Khantau

The Kazakh oronym of Khantau should be analyzed in combination with similar toponyms of other Turkic-speaking peoples. Thus, when considering such seemingly clear and transparent toponyms as the Kazakh Khantau, the Altai Kaan-Kaya (Kangaya), and the Khakass Hangol, one should keep in mind the ancient cult of mountains and rocks. The key to understanding the meaning of these geographical names is given by the Turkic-Mongolian cult term "Khan", which is used "before or after the name of the shamanic spirit or genius with the meanings of "most revered", "dominant", "senior". [Quoted from: Manzhigeyev, 1978, p. 84].

In our opinion, both Altai and Kazakh oronyms are composed not of paired nouns but of adjectives (kan, khan) + nouns (kaya, tau) according to the rule that an adjective in the Turkic languages should face the nouns. The word "kaan" (kagan, kan, khan) became a noun after the acquisition of the meaning "ruler", "king", " governor". It can be argued that for the sake of sanctification, i.e. to strengthen the power and role of the leader, this spiritual characteristic began to be awarded to the heads of tribes, or was usurped by secular leaders, and as a result became a title (noun). The description of the term ("revered", etc.) is in itself a sign of primacy.

Titles "the most revered", "dominant", "senior" in a number of ancient Turkic, though late hypostases of the image of the Eternal Sky: Qan Möngke tngri, Qan Kisaγa tngri, Qan Ataγa tngri, etc., indicate the existence of a pantheon of "revered". Taking into account the sacred nature of such natural objects as rocks and mountains, as well as their corresponding naming, it should be admitted that the Altai Kaan-Kaya (Kangaya) is not a "khan rock, cliff or khan-rock", but a "revered rock", as well as the Kazakh Khantau - a "revered mountain". The accuracy of the proposed interpretations is demonstrated by the toponym of Khan-Tengri. The name of the supreme deity Tengri, which became synonymous with Allah among the Muslim Turks, could not be "strengthened" by earthly titles, even the highest ones (khan, tsar, king, emperor), as it contains the highest concept in itself. Therefore, the prefix "khan" in front of the name of the deity is an adjective, not a noun and reflects the attitude of man to God, which does not ground his name. Khan Tengri is "the ruling Tengri", or "the most revered Tengri", or "the eldest Tengri". In the same row we see the Hangai Range, which probably originally sounded like Hangaia (Hankaya) - "revered or dominant ridge (rock)". Khakass Lake Hangol cannot be a bloody lake. In Khakassia, the khan is blood, and in this case the name of the hydronym is "revered lake". The image of the Motherland among Turks is connected with reverence of the land, waters (lakes, rivers), mountains, rocks. The non-randomness of the names of mountains/rock Khantau, Hangai (Hankaya), Kaan-Kaya (Kangaya), and lake Hangol as "revered" reflects the ancient Turkic inscription on the rock to the north of Abakan (Khakass Republic): "You, - white rock, homeland, friend, - [I wish] good time! [Vasilyev, 1978, p. 93]. Here, next to the concepts of the homeland, a friend stands a white rock, the sacredness of which allows it to be in the same row with these high conceptual categories.

Sacralization of the Tien Shan mountain range has been manifested since ancient times: it is expressed, for example, in the construction of numerous huge royal barrows of Saks, in the geographical names of Tengritag (Tien Shan) - "Divine Mountains", and Khan-Tengri Peak - "Main Tengri". There is also one of the oldest sanctuaries of the temples, which appeared in the Bronze Age - Tamgaly tract.