Connotative meanings of zoonyms denoting wild animals in the Altai language

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to identify the lexical and semantic features of the connotation of zoonyms denoting wild animals in the Altai language. The relevance of the work is due to the lack of a comprehensive study of the connotative meanings of zoonyms in the Altai language. The subject of the study is zoomorphisms that designate representatives of different families (bears, canines, deer, mustelids, squirrels) and are used in human nominations. One of the tasks is to identify the positive (meliorative) and negative (pejorative) connotations of these zoolexems. The research methods used in this work are the semantic-pragmatic method, contextual and component analysis. The novelty of the study lies in the analysis of manifestations of connotation in the speech of native speakers of the Altai language, which are not recorded by existing dictionaries, but are reproduced in the process of forming and interpreting statements. In line with the anthropocentric approach, the specificity of zoonyms denoting in the Altai language representatives of the families of bears, canines, mustelids, squirrels, and deer, which are endowed with connotative meanings and are means of emotional-evaluative nomination, is considered. Zoonyms denoting wild animals in the Altai language are involved in the conceptualization of man, his physical, moral, ethical and intellectual qualities. By expressing a subjective attitude towards another person, describing his qualities, a native speaker actualizes those stereotypical established associations with animals that are enshrined in his linguistic consciousness. The connotative meanings of zoonyms denoting representatives of the bear and dog families are as follows: ayu “bear” expresses the word “strong”, bӧrü “wolf” – “evil”, “cruel”, “greedy”, “young”; tülkü ‘fox’ – “beautiful”, “cunning”, borsuk ‘badger’ – “stupid, kind, honest”, jeeken ‘wolverine’ – “boastful”, toktonok ‘weasel’ – “wise”; pulan ‘elk’, maral ‘deer’ – ‘strong, brave’, elik ‘roe deer’ – ‘beautiful’, ‘timid’, tiyyn ‘squirrel’ – ‘fast’, ‘light’, ‘nimble’. In cultural and linguistic practice, when using zoonyms, two trends in meaning are noted: anthropomorphism, or endowing animals with human properties, and zoomorphism, or endowing people with animal properties, likening humans to animals. In the process of functioning of zoonyms in a figurative meaning in speech practice, mutual enrichment of the semantics of lexemes occurs.

Acknowledgments: The study was carried out according to the Russian Science Foundation project No. 23-28-10028 “The linguistic picture of the world of the Altai people: vocabulary of the fauna of the Altai Mountains”.

References

1. Tybykova, L. N. To the question of the semantic structure of the zoomorphic image “dog” in the Altai and Russian languages. In: Socio-cultural interaction of the Altai and Russian peoples in the history of the Russian state. Proceedings of the All-Russian scientific-practical conference (Biysk, September 27–30, 2006). Biysk, V. M. Shukshin BSPU Publ., 2006, pp. 115–124. (In Rus.)

2. Tybykova, L. N. Ethnocultural specificity of zoomorphic image “bear” in the Altai language in the comparative aspect. In: Ural-Altai: through centuries into the future: materials of the 3rd All-Russian Turkological conference dedicated to the 110th anniversary of N. K. Dmitriev (Ufa, June 27–28, 2008). Vol. 1: Linguistics, Literary Studies. Ufa, Gilem Publ., 2008, pp. 252–260. (In Rus.)

3. Tybykova, L. N. Symbolism of beauty in the Altai zoomorphisms. In: Ethno-cultural heritage of the Altai peoples: proceedings of the All-Russian scientific-practical conference devoted to the 70th anniversary of the S. S. Surazakov Research Institute of Altaic Studies. Gorno-Altaisk, S. S. Surazakov Research Institute of Altaic Studies Publ., 2022, pp. 339–353. (In Rus.)

4. Apresyan, Y. D. Integral description of language and system lexicography. Moscow, Languages of Slavic Culture Publ., 1995, vol 2, 769 p. (In Rus.)

5. Telia, V. N. Connotative aspect of semantics of nominative units. Moscow, Nauka Publ., 1986, 141 p. (In Rus.)

6. Kobozeva, I. M. Linguistic semantics. Moscow, Editorial URSS Publ., 2004, 352 p. (In Rus.)

7. Maslova, V. A. Linguoculturology: textbook for students of higher educational institutions. Moscow, Academy Publ., 2001, 208 p. (In Rus.)

8. Tsypanov, E. A. Zoomorphisms as one of the sources of peyoratives in the Komi language. In: Finno-Ugric world in the multi-ethnic space of Russia: cultural heritage and new challenges: a collection of articles on the materials of the 6th All-Russian scientific conference of Finno-Ugric scholars. Izhevsk, Anna Zelenina Publ. House, 2019, pp. 161–166. (In Rus.)

9. Yaimova, N. A. Tabooed lexicon and euphemisms in the Altai language. Gorno-Altaisk, Gorno-Altaisk Printing House, 1990, 169 p. (In Rus.)

10. Chunizhekov, Ch. Munduzak. Gorno-Altaisk, Gorno-Altaisk branch of Altai Book Publ. House, 1957, 152 p. (In Altai)

11. Altai baatyrs. Vol. 6. Compilers: M. A. Demchinova, I. N. Muitueva. Gorno-Altaisk, Gorno-Altaisk branch of Altai Book Publ. House, 2020, 588 p. (Monuments of Epic heritage of Altai). (In Altai)

12. Altai proverbs and sayings. Compiler N. R. Oinotkinova. Novosibirsk, Editorial and Publishing department of NSU, 2010, 268 p. (In Altai and Rus.)

13. Shodoev, I. Difficult years. Gorno-Altaisk, Gorno-Altaisk branch of the Altai Book Publ. House, 1973, 201 p. (In Altai)

14. Akulova, T. Charas-Bazhy – cradle of fairy tales. Gorno-Altaisk, Yuch-Syumer Publ., 2003, 376 p. (In Altai)

15. Altai folk songs. Compilers: M. A. Demchinova, G. B. Sychenko. Novosibirsk, Publ. House of the SB RAS, 2022, 956 p. (Monuments of folklore of the peoples of Siberia and the Far East; vol. 35). (In Altai and Rus.)

16. Altai folklore. Compiler E. P. Kandarakova. Gorno-Altaisk, Gorno-Altaisk branch of the Altai Book Publ. House, 1988, 216 p. (In Altai)

17. Akulova, T. The largest village. Gorno-Altaisk, Solony Publ., 1998, 176 p. (In Altai)

18. Tepukov, K. Altai – our sacred land. Gorno-Altaisk, Literary and Publ. House “Altyn Tuu”. URL: http://azatpai.ru/d/altay-eris-agaru.pdf (accessed: April 24, 2023). (In Altai)

19. Kainchin, J. Our yurts are in the same valley. Gorno-Altaisk, Gorno-Altaisk branch of Altai Book Publ. House, 1984, 230 p. (In Altai)