No 1 (2023)
LINGUISTICS
Emotive-Evaluative Causative Constructions in the Buryat Language
Abstract
This paper describes emotive-evaluative causative constructions of guilt and condemnation in the Buryat language. The relevance of the work arises from the modern integrated approach to the study of such functional and semantic categories as causativity, as well as from the increasing interest in the problems of the category of emotivity in linguistics. The relevance stems from the need to study emotions and their representation in language from the perspective of linguistics. The main goal of this work is to determine the emotive-evaluative potential in causative constructions with the meaning of guilt and condemnation in the Buryat language and to try to identify its national and cultural peculiarities. The novelty of the work arises from the fact that this problem has not been practically studied on the material of the Buryat language before. The theoretical and methodological basis of the work was formed by the works of domestic and foreign linguists: V. I. Shakhovsky, A. Vezhbitskaya, I. V. Trufanova, and K. Izard. The feeling of guilt is one of the basic emotions. Condemnation refers to the moral evaluation of certain phenomena of reality, actions, and behaviors of people. In Buryat’s causative constructions, one can notice a close connection between the semantics of guilt and condemnation. The material of the study consists of a solid sample of causative constructions contained in the electronic corpus of the Buryat language and data obtained by observing the speech of native speakers. As a result, it is found that causative constructions in the Buryat language have an emotive-evaluative potential. In order to express the feeling of guilt and related condemnation, the so-called constructions of “guilt of the causer” are used, in which the subject himself is guilty of what happened. The constructions of “fault of the causator” are quite specific; they show the peculiarities of the linguistic worldview in understanding causative relations. In the constructions of "guilt of the causer," the speaker often appears himself as the causer, and such constructions most vividly express the feeling of guilt, awareness of one's mistakes, and weakness.
Tomsk Journal of Linguistics and Anthropology. 2023;(1):9-16
9-16
The Vocabulary of Folk Games in the Dialects of the Vyatka and the Ural Mari: Russian Borrowings
Abstract
The article deals with the vocabulary of folk games in the Eastern dialect of the Mari language: Malmyzh, Kungur, and Krasnoufimsk subdialects. Games studied include dice, tip-cat, and a variation of skittles game (in which a stick is thrown at a piece of wood impaled on a stake twisted into the ground). The research is based on Russian and foreign publications on the Mari language, folklore, ethnography, and archival and modern field data, which are being put into scientific circulation for the first time. The main research method is comparative: the words in question are compared with the vocabulary of folk games in the dialects of Mari, Russian, and other Finno-Ugric languages. The Mari dialects studied in the article (in the north of the Mari region) are strongly influenced by the local Russian dialects, while the Mari dialects of the southern region experience a stronger Turkic influence and borrowings from Chuvash and Tatar languages predominate in their vocabulary for folk games. The article deals with the names of playthings (pieces of wood) and the names of games with them (chinok, chizik, chizhik, baklanom, plishka, panok, peshki, shishka, shorchok, sholchok, kapke, babki), as well as with the verbs galitlash, galitlyktash ‘to play a difficult role in the game’. Most of these lexemes are not included in the Mari dictionaries. Some of them are not so much borrowings as the result of changing codes in the situation of Mari Russian bilingualism, especially since some words (baklanom, plyshka, shishka, peshki) were used by Mari informants when they told Russian ethnologists about Mari games in Russian. Thus, the Mari speak local Russian dialects and represent specific local Russian folk game terminology. The Russian words in the Mari language revealed in this article are also found in other Finno-Ugric languages of the Volga-Ural region: Mordovian, Udmurtian, Komi, and Chuvash.
Tomsk Journal of Linguistics and Anthropology. 2023;(1):17-28
17-28
Orographic Appellatives of High Relief in Yakut Oronymy
Abstract
The article analyzes the orographic appellatives of high relief on the material of Yakut oronymy in a comparative aspect with Turkic, Mongolian, and Manchu-Tungus languages. The author examines their semantics and distribution. In addition, their role in the formation of oronyms is determined. The research material comes mainly from bilingual, lexicographic, etymological, dialectological, and toponymic dictionaries and linguistic works containing information on orographic appellatives. The study also used material collected by the author during the field expeditions conducted in the central regions of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) since 2020. The article aims to identify the orographic appellatives of the high relief in Yakut oronymy and to describe them comparatively historically. Nowadays, such a specific layer of the Yakut toponymic vocabulary as oronymy is considered endangered for a number of sociolinguistic and socioeconomic reasons and needs collection, systematization, study, and preservation in linguistic databases. The result of the descriptive method shows that the orographic appellatives occurring in Yakut oronymy reflect the physical and geographical features of the terrain in which they function. The statistical method has shown that high relief appellatives account for about 27% of all Yakut oronyms. The most active in forming oronyms are the appellatives haya ‘mountain, rock’ (20%), bulgunniakh ‘pingo’ (19%), taas ‘rock, mountain’ (7%), tumul ‘cape’ (7%). The word formation structure of most of the Yakut oronyms with appellatives of high relief is represented by two-word attributive constructions and is formed according to models such as “noun + noun” and “adjective + noun”. The comparative historical method has shown that the orographic appellatives of high relief in Yakut oronymy are represented by Turkic, Mongolian, Manchu-Tungusic, as well as common Altaic word stems. The etymological analysis of the appellatives denoting different forms of relief allows us to deepen and broaden the study of the genetic relationship of the Altai languages and the ways of their historical development. Some appellatives of high relief are in the stage of their formation, and others are well established and exist in many Turkic, Mongolian, and Manchu-Tungus languages.
Tomsk Journal of Linguistics and Anthropology. 2023;(1):29-42
29-42
On the Etymology of the Probabilitative Suffix -qxiə in the Language of the Tundra Nenets
Abstract
The article proposes the etymology of the suffix -qxiə, which is part of several morphologically complex verbal grammatical markers of the Tundra Nenets language. In recent publications, most of these forms use the terms probabilitative or probabilistic. The probabilitative suffix denotes an epistemic estimate based on common knowledge. This suffix has a non-trivial morphological position in the Tundra Nenets language: it is used as the second component in compound markers, the first component of which may be a morpheme based on suffixes of the perfective or imperfective participle. Conversely, no morphemes other than personal suffixes can be used after participial suffixes in the Tundra Nenets language. Grammatical markers historically related to Tundra Nenets -qxiə are found in the Forest Enets and Nganasan languages. In the Forest Enets language, the cognate morpheme is also part of a compound affix where the preceding component goes back to a participial suffix, as in the Tundra Nenets language. In Nganasan, the cognate marker with the same meaning is a syntactically independent element that can be used either as a particle attached to any finite verb form or as an auxiliary that marks the main verb with a connegative suffix. The nontrivial morphological position of the marker in the Tundra Nenets language and its cognate in the Forest Enets language suggests that the forms under consideration in these languages also derive from auxiliary constructions. At the same time, the structure and grammatical form of the elements of these constructions have developed independently in each of the three languages.
Tomsk Journal of Linguistics and Anthropology. 2023;(1):43-54
43-54
Russian Words in the Ossetic Speech: Corpus Observations
Abstract
Ossetian (< IRANIAN < INDO-EUROPEAN) has interacted with Russian for at least two centuries, and most Ossetians are Ossetic-Russian bilinguals. The influence of Russian on the development of Ossetic vocabulary is well described (in particular, the appearance in the Ossetic lexicon of Russian words without Ossetian equivalents and their subsequent adaptation, e.g., скъола 'school' from Russian школа, стъол ‘table’ from Russian стол). At the same time, the functioning of Russian words that have Ossetic equivalents also deserves attention (e.g., больницæ instead of рынчындон ‘hospital’). This paper describes Russian words of the second type in the Ossetic speech (Iron dialect) based on the corpus of texts recorded in the village of Dargavs. The total number of Russian words in the studied texts is relatively small, but they occur regularly. In our study, we first presented quantitative data on their distribution: nouns and adjectives are the most frequent, followed by adverbs and discourse markers; verbs are less frequent. Particles, interjections, and conjunctions are rarely used in Russian; there are also few cases of interclausal alternation. Second, we have discussed the structural features of Russian words in the context of Myers-Scotton and Muysken's theories of code-mixing and code-switching. We have shown that in the terminology of Myers-Scotton's Matrix Language Frame model, islands of embedded language are common in non-single-word Russian phrases; less common are mixed (Matrix Language + Embedded Language) constituents in which Russian vocabulary is embedded in the Ossetic morphosyntactic frame; at the same time, there are very few word forms with Russian morphological markers (as opposed to "unmarked" forms). In Muysken's sense, insertion is more characteristic of the Ossetic speech than alternation, and there are no reliable cases of congruent lexicalization. The nature and quantitative distribution of Russian words show that Ossetic does not seem to be a language subject to language shift.
Tomsk Journal of Linguistics and Anthropology. 2023;(1):55-72
55-72
Mongolian Borrowings in the Text of the Khakass Heroic Legend “Албынчы”
Abstract
Like other Siberian Turkic languages, the Khakass language is characterized by an abundance of Mongolian borrowings due to the centuries-long contacts of its speakers. In the texts of the heroic stories, most of these words have been preserved, even those that are no longer actively used. Based on the semantic, morphological, phonetic, and etymological criteria for selecting the Mongolian loan vocabulary described in the works of famous linguists – typologists E. V. Sevortyan, V. I. Rassadin, B. I. Tatarintsev, A. V. Dybo, and others – we have managed to identify Mongols in the text of the Khakass heroic legend “Албынчы”. However, the question of the Mongolian origin of some of them is still open. This article analyzes the nine most frequent lexemes in the language of the heroic sagas from the functional-semantic, etymological, and comparative points of view, of which four lexemes are used in the modern Khakass language in a somewhat modified semantic version. Translation examples of Mongolian borrowings from the heroic legend “Албынчы” served as material for the article, for the analysis of which data from lexicographic sources were used. It turned out that all the Mongolian borrowings we considered exist not only in the Khakass language but also in other Siberian Turkic languages and the Kyrgyz language. However, if some of these words are preserved only in the Khakass texts of the heroic legends and in the Khakas-Russian dictionary [2006], then their equivalents are used in the active vocabulary of other languages, for example, арға “1) strength, dexterity; 2) method, means, reception”. It has also been noted that polysemantic Mongolian words have generally passed into the Khakass language (and other Siberian Turkic languages, as well as the Kyrgyz language) only in their primary meanings; some of them have developed figurative meanings in the modern Khakass language, e.g., хуйах “protection; intuition” In the semantic-functional scheme, sentences with Mongols are not characterized by a particular variety of syntactic links, as active clichéd expressions are built into them. Also, the semantics and phonetic appearance of the considered mongolisms in the Khakass language do not show significant changes.
Tomsk Journal of Linguistics and Anthropology. 2023;(1):73-85
73-85
Conditional Bipredicative Constructions in the Khakass Language
Abstract
Based on the modern Khakass language material, this article describes the accepted structural-semantic types of bipredicative structures with the semantics of conditions. Many issues related to the description of complex sentences in the Khakass language have not yet been adequately addressed, which determines the relevance of this study. The article aims to identify and describe the structural and semantic types of conditional bipredicative constructions in the modern Khakass language. A solid selection of examples from works of fiction and folklore texts in the Khakass language served as research material. As a result of the conducted research, the author concludes that three models of bipredicative constructions with a dependent predicative unit of the condition can be distinguished in the Khakass language. The relationship between the main and dependent parts of the bipredicative constructions is established by the common Turkic conditional form =sa (and its phonetic variants) and analytic conditionals with the service word creep 'to be, to become.' Based on semantic features, conditional constructions in the Khakass language are divided into real-conditional and unreal-conditional. Real-conditional constructions are characterized by the fact that the condition in its dependent part is considered by the speaker as really feasible, and unreal-conditional constructions – as not feasible. In real-conditional constructions, the predicate of the main part is represented by the forms of the indicative, the imperative, and the optative, and in unreal-conditional constructions – by the form of the subjunctive mood.
Tomsk Journal of Linguistics and Anthropology. 2023;(1):86-101
86-101
ANTHROPOLOGY
The horse as a Chthonic Being in Khakass Beliefs and Folklore (late XIX–XX century)
Abstract
Since its domestication, the horse has played an important role in human life. It has contributed to making people extremely mobile. By covering great distances relatively quickly, they managed to dominate large areas. People actively involved the horse in economic, military, religious, ceremonial, and other activities. Its importance was so great that it became an obligatory part of funeral rites. Horses were buried with their deceased owners, so they became signposts to the "other world" for them and continued to serve them even after death. Archaic consciousness often attributed the use of a horse as a mount to the inhabitants of the subterranean world of non-human nature. Similar ideological ideas were definitely present among the Khakass. This work aims to characterize the horse as a religious and mythological figure of the Khakass, having a chthonic nature. The work's chronological framework is limited to the late XIX–XX century framework. The source material on the research topic determines the choice of this time frame. Ethnographic and folkloric materials, published and put into scientific circulation, served as a source base. Among the folk sources, the heroic stories (Alyptyg Nymakhtar) are widely used, from which excerpts in the author's translation are presented in Russian for the first time. Guiding the study is the principle of historicism, in which each cultural phenomenon is considered in its development, considering a specific situation. The research methodology uses historical and ethnographic methods: Vestiges (relics), folklore, and semantic analysis. The results of the study suggest that the image of the horse in the Khakass culture was endowed with extensive and diverse symbolism. It was a sacred animal and directly related to traditional ideas about death and the other world. The horse is a signpost to the other world and also an attribute of lower mythological beings. As a chthonic being, it is endowed with a number of specific characteristics: various physical anomalies, polymorphism, size, supernatural abilities, and connection with the element of water.
Tomsk Journal of Linguistics and Anthropology. 2023;(1):102-117
102-117
The main aspects of ethnic identity among the members of the "Polish Cultural Center “Polish House” in Tomsk"
Abstract
The article deals with the importance of individual self-perception factors (language, religion, culture, historical memory) for maintaining Polish ethnic identity among the regional public organization “Polish House” members in Tomsk in the late 2010s. The main theoretical foundations of the work are the constructivist approach of the theory of ethnos (R. Brubaker, V.A. Tishkov) and the theory of historical memory (M. Halbwaks). Ethnic autostereotypes of this group are examined. The variability and contextuality of self-determination on an ethnic or political basis depending on the context of circumstances are shown: from the ethnonym “Pole” to the politonym “Russian” It is shown how important it is for the respondents to learn/know Polish, as it is one of the components of their identity. The majority of respondents know Polish or are learning it. As the authors noted, religious affiliation and commitment to Catholicism are not crucial for self-awareness as a Pole. The issue of preserving historical memory as a factor of ethnic identity is considered separately. The interviewees pointed out the importance of family history and archival materials (letters, photo albums) for the transmission of traditions and participation in the history of the Polish people. Poles from Siberia came here at various times in the XIX and XX centuries. In most cases, these were not voluntary resettlements. The authors studied the issues of the integration of Poles into Russian society. According to the study results, most respondents believe that Poles are fully integrated into Russian society. But, unfortunately, the Russian public sometimes extrapolates the actions and statements of Polish politicians to all Poles, which can have a negative impact on the attitude of Russians toward this ethnic group. The survey results show that the self-confidence of Russian Poles who have Polish ancestors (or suspect that they have Polish ancestors) is ambivalent and depends on external factors. Furthermore, they show the great importance of historical (collective) memory, which is the most important marker of the identity of Russian Poles, while linguistic and religious markers do not play such an important role.
Tomsk Journal of Linguistics and Anthropology. 2023;(1):118-126
118-126
Regulation of Burial Practices and Funeral Laments of the Old Believers-Bespopovts of Ust-Tsilma
Abstract
Using the local tradition of the Old Believers-Bespopovtsy of Nizhnepechora as an example, the characteristics of the late existence of burial and memorial laments in the Ust-Tsilemsky district of the Komi Republic are described. The study draws attention to the rather late research of baptism by folklorists. The collection of the reports was not carried out systematically by different researchers. The 1929 records were published with a commentary only in 2013 and another major publication of the texts collected in 1942 dates from 1962. The reports have been published in other collections with varying degrees of completeness. Particularly in the 21st century, there are also analytical articles. This article examines the liturgical tradition from the perspective of an ethnographic research campaign, focusing on the functioning of the genre, the place, and the role of eulogies in funeral and memorial rites at the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st centuries. The factors contributing to eulogies' introduction into traditional funeral culture are described. The ritual terminology, the stable expressions that are the names of the laments and indicate their fulfillment, and the vocabulary represented in the laments by metaphorical substitutions and epithets are given. The importance of regulating the performance of lamentations in relation to the time of day is analyzed, and the restriction of their performance to certain ages and social groups is also considered. The local peculiarity of the performance of lament songs for the deceased, who showed disrespect to some family members during their lifetime and were abusers, through the lament songs, the unkind actions and deeds of the deceased person are shown. The article was written on the basis of field materials collected by the author in different years in the villages of Ust-Tsilma, as well as on the basis of published materials and archival sources kept in the scientific archive of the Komi Scientific Center of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Tomsk Journal of Linguistics and Anthropology. 2023;(1):127-140
127-140
Tobolsk Bukharans of Komarovsky Yurt of Tobolsk Province According to Birth Registers of the 19th – early 20th Century
Abstract
This article analyzes the socio-cultural peculiarities of the Siberian Bukharans in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The analysis is based on the material of handwritten mosque books of Komarovsky yurts in Bukhara Volost, Tobolsk province. The authors transliterated and translated the Muslim metrical (mosque) books “On a Note to the Born, on Marriages, Divorce, and Deaths” into Russian. The transliteration and translation of the old Tatar texts bring new source material into scholarly circulation. It is shown that the metrical books contain unique information. This information and some other sources allow one to consider in detail and comprehensively the socio-historical and linguistic nature of the Muslim population of Western Siberia. It turns out that the structure of these documents is uniform and corresponds to the generally accepted standards of the historical period under study. The authors of the Muslim metrical records were imams serving in local mosques. This is evident from the records in the books of marriages and divorces. The Muslim metrical books of the Komarovskaya Mosque preserved information for 27 years, from 1835 to 1852 and 1854 to 1862, during which Suyujbaki b. Gabdelgaziz was the imam of the Komarovsky Yurts. The authors present some facts about the biography of the decreed Imam and compile his genealogy. It turned out that the two books on births and marriages allow us to determine the ethnic and class structure of the studied population in the 19th century. These categories are given in the mosque books of the Komarovsky Yurts and include soldiers, Yazak Tatars, Bukharians. It is typical of the designation of the population of Bukhara that in these handwritten documents, the lexemes bukhartin (бухартин) and sart (старт) are used as equivalents. The authors note that some elements of the regional dialect are recognizable in the transfer of phonetic features of pronunciation of personal names in the graphic design of the word (devoicing) and vocabulary (dialectisms).
Tomsk Journal of Linguistics and Anthropology. 2023;(1):141-155
141-155