Agricultural folklore-linguistic attributes of the Mordovian people: lexeme kshy

Abstract

The article is devoted to one of the relevant and promising topics of modern linguistic folklore studies and ethnography – bread, a phenomenon of traditional ethnic culture. Bread is a significant part of the food traditions of the Mordovian people and the most conservative element of material culture. Bread retains its eternal significance in the ritual sphere of the Mordvins, acts as an integral part of the rite and is endowed with sacred meaning. In the traditional food picture of the world of the Mordvins, bread is a spiritual center of power that is present on every family table, ensures the native home existence and it is an expression of ethnic self-awareness. The paper reconstructs the etymological meaning and historical development of the lexeme kshy ‘bread’. The article attempts to show the role and place of bread in traditional prayers, in some family and calendar rites, with bread as an important sacral symbol and one of the most ancient archetypes in Mordovian culture. Based on the semantic analysis of folklore works, ethnographic, archival, field, lexicographic data, the original tradition of bread baking, features and methods of baking ritual bread are revealed, its connection with all stages of the life cycle – from birth to death – is emphasized. Bread is an important attribute in the most important moments of a wedding. The relevance of the study is dictated by the need to establish the functional, value and mythological attributes of bread. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the attempt of a comprehensive study of the cultural phenomenon of kshy ‘bread’ in the Mordovian linguistic picture of the world within the framework of ethnolinguistic and ethnographic approaches. The fragment research of the linguistic picture of the world allows us to study the word not only as a sign of language, but also as a phenomenon of national mentality. The research methodology is based on the linguocultural analysis of folklore works and the interpretation of ethnographic, archival, and field data.

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