HISTORICAL AND ETHNOLOGICAL MYSTERIES AROUND THE EXOETHNONYM-PETRIFIKAT VET’KE

The non-decreasing relevance of the topic of the article can be seen through annual publications in “Bulletin of Higher Education Institutions” and specialized journals on national history and ethnology that were dedicated to the history of the East Slavic paticipalities and related ethnic groups. As a rule, they contain contradictory consequences of understanding the number of anthroponyms and ethnonyms. The aim of the article is to introduce new data into scientific circulation and clarify the interpretations available in Russian history and ethnology. The unmentioned lexicographic and bibliographic data are used and subjected to a comparative historical review. The assumption made in the article about the semantic identity of exoethnonyms-petrificates Burtas, Vet’ke, Suvas should be taken into account by the authors of future publications on the history of Eastern Europe.