The Russian hydronym Volga (Idel) derives from Proto-Slavic *vòlga “wetness, moisture”, which is preserved in many Slavic languages, including Ukrainian vológa “moisture”, Russian vlaga “moisture”, Bulgarian vlaga “moisture”, Czech vláha “dampness”, and Serbo-Croatian vl?ga “moisture”, among others.

The Slavic name is a loan translation of earlier Scythian Ra “Volga (Idel)”, literally “wetness”, seen also in Avestan Ra?ha “mythical stream” and Sogdian r’k “vein, blood vessel” (< *raha-ka), and cognate with Sanskrit rasa´h “liquid, juice; mythical river”. The Scythian name survives in modern Mordvin Rav “Volga (Idel)”.

The Turkic peoples living along the river formerly referred to it as Itil or Atil “big river”. In modern Turkic languages, the Volga (Idel) is known as Idel in Tatar, Idyll in ancient Bulgar in Chuvash, Idhel in Bashkir, Edil in Kazakh, and Idil in Turkish. The Turkic peoples associated the Itil’s origin with the Kama River. Thus, a left tributary to the Kama River was named the Aq Itil “White Itil” which unites with the Kara Itil “Black Itil” at the modern city of Ufa.

Under the Asians, the river was known by its other Turkic name Sari-su “yellow water”, but Mongols also used their own name: Ijil mörön “adaptation river”. Presently the Mari, another Ugric group, call the river ?? (Jul), meaning “way” in Tatar. Formerly, they called the river Volgydo, a borrowing from Old Russian.

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