Where does “Кара-Балта” come from?

Кара-Балта (Kyrgyz) comes from Kyrgyz кара, from Proto-Turkic kara — black.

Ancestry of “Кара-Балта”, step by step

Кара-Балта traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Kyrgyz кара

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Kyrgyzкараblack
2Proto-Turkickarablack

via Kyrgyz балта

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Kyrgyzбалтаaxe
2Proto-Turkicbaltuaxe
Every word from Proto-Turkic kara →Every word from Kyrgyz кара →