Expression of comparison in Altaian epics (on example of Оchy-Bala)

Abstract

Our purpose is to discover and describe the means of expression of comparative relations in the heroic tale Оchy-Bala, an outstanding Altaian heroic epic. The relevance of our study stems from the fact that the Altaian heroic epics remain relatively understudied, and its novelty lies in the fact that for the first time, we analyze the structural and semantic types of comparative constructions in Оchy-Bala. Our primary methods are descriptive methods and methods of structural modeling. In our study, we detect and describe comparative constructions denoting equative, similative, comparative, and superlative relations. To express equative and similative relations, essentially the same constructions are used in most cases, which makes their formal distinction difficult. Comparative and superlative constructions are represented by singular examples, unlike the highly common equative and similative constructions. Both objects and actions can serve as objects and standards of comparison. Parameters of comparison are often not expressed verbally. Standards of comparison in the Altai language are formed by comparison markers; therefore, special attention is paid to markers of comparison standards, which make comparative constructions comparative in the first place. They may be synthetic (expressed as affixes within comparison standards) and analytical (expressed through function words). We show that in Оchy-Bala, the means of expression of comparative relations are the same as in the modern Altai language; however, their numbers, frequency, and usage are not quite the same. For example, the comparative constructions in Оchy-Bala include three synthetic (=DYi, =DAŋ and =GAndYi) and six analytical markers of comparison: keptü ‘like, as if’, keberlü ‘like, as though’, chylap ‘like, as if, as though’, oshkosh / ushkush ‘like, as if, as though’, polup ‘like’, podoldu ‘as though’. We show that the functioning of the same constructions in folklore text and modern Altai language is different. In modern Altai, comparative constructions with function words chylap ‘like, as if, as though’ and oshkosh / ushkush ‘like, as if, as though’ are highly common; however, they aren’t as frequent in Оchy-Bala. We also list the comparative constructions used regularly for the figurative description of the main characters are highlighted.

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