No 3 (2024)
LINGUISTICS
Constructions of the Causation of Negative Emotions in the Buryat Language
Abstract
The article examines the constructions of the causation of negative emotions in the Buryat language. The relevance of the work is related to a comprehensive approach to the study of such functional and semantic categories as causativity, which involves the study of the category from the point of view of the interaction of various linguistic facts. The subject of the study is emotional constructions that demonstrate the interaction of the categories of emotivity and causativity. In modern linguistics, there is an increased interest in the problem of the category of emotivity, which is related to the need to study emotions and their representation in language. The emotion of anger is one of the basic negative emotions. The work aims to identify the semantic and structural components of causative constructions that express negative emotional effects and evoke feelings such as anger, irritation, dissatisfaction, and rage in the Buryat language. The novelty of the work lies in the fact that the definition of the main components of Buryat structures, which represent the emergence of feelings such as anger, irritation, and rage, is carried out for the first time. The theoretical and methodological basis of the work is formed by the works of Russian and foreign linguists (V. I. Shakhovsky, A. Vezhbitskaya, K. Izard, and many others). A solid sample of causative constructions contained in the electronic corpus of the Buryat language served as research material. The results show that causative constructions represent a situation with an emotional impact that evokes a certain reaction in the subject. There are sufficient morphological causatives in the Buryat language to indicate the causation of anger. Some peculiarities in their use have been noted. For example, the verb suhald-uul-ha is more frequent than uurl-uul-ha, which can be explained by the fact that the emotion represented by the lexeme uurla-ha ‘getting angry’, unlike suhald-ha, is perceived by native speakers as an inherent human state that has no external stimuli and is not subject to causation. Non-functional, causative constructions are involved in the representation of emotional effects. Polypredicative constructions with circumstantial meaning and components in direct speech are used when describing an emotional stimulus. Instrumentalis, intensifying adverbs, and adverbial forms are used to amplify the meaning of the emotional effect.
Tomsk Journal of Linguistics and Anthropology. 2024;(3):9-17
9-17
Bilingualism in the Urban Linguistic Landscape (Using the Example of Petrozavodsk)
Abstract
Interdisciplinary studies of urban linguistic landscapes, which have recently shown considerable dynamics, are among the most actively developing areas of modern humanitarian knowledge. The main task of the research is to describe linguistic landscapes in the context of general issues of multilingual communicative practices, ethnic identity, and language policy. The methodology for studying visual ethnic information represented in urban spaces is constantly evolving. This article attempts to describe the modern bilingual landscape of Petrozavodsk. The Karelian language only began to appear on the city’s streets relatively recently, when the city administration began installing bilingual street signs in Russian and Karelian in 2021. The objectives of this study included not only describing the formation of the modern linguistic landscape in a diachronic way but also analyzing the peculiarities of the naming process of toponyms in Karelian. To this end, the study involved interviews with experts (translators and linguists) who created street signs in Karelian. During the interview, the basic principles of toponym selection were clarified. An equally important task of the work was to find out the opinion of Karelian residents about the use of street signs and façade signs in Karelian in the city. A sociolinguistic questionnaire was developed to carry out the survey. The survey results, in which 60 informants took part, show that the inhabitants of the city and the entire republic have a positive attitude towards the visualization of the Karelian language and the majority believe that it should be expanded. The positive attitude of the informants is directly related to the symbolic function of Karelian language elements in the linguistic landscape. A separate block of questions in the questionnaire aimed to clarify the symbolic area. The analysis of the material has shown that the written represen tations of the Karelian language in the urban space are not related to the possibility of linguistic commodification but to the symbolic dimension of the linguistic landscape – ethnic identity, preservation, and popularization of the Karelian language and its national and cultural value.
Tomsk Journal of Linguistics and Anthropology. 2024;(3):18-31
18-31
Morphological and Lexical-semantic Features of Butterfly Names in the Altai Language
Abstract
The article examines the names of butterflies in the Altai language from the point of view of their morphological and lexical-semantic features. The relevance of the study lies in the lack of knowledge of this lexicalsemantic group of words. The work uses descriptive, comparative methods as well as methods of morphological, lexical-semantic, and motivational analysis. The novelty of the study lies in the identification of the composition of the vocabulary denoted by butterflies, in the study of the internal form of these insectonyms, the main methods of naming and word formation models, in the determination of the national and cultural characteristics of this lexical-semantic group in the Altai language. The generic name kӧbӧlӧk ‘butterfly’ belongs to the general Turkic vocabulary, while the specific names are Altai. Certain stereotypes about butterflies have developed in the popular consciousness of Altai people: a negative attitude towards nocturnal butterfly species, which are ‘ugly in color,’ and daytime butterflies which ‘harm plants.’ Some names of butterflies reflect the mythological idea that butterflies are creatures created by the deity of the underworld. These insectonyms include various mythonyms associated with the shamanic and pagan beliefs of the Altai people. In the fiction of the Altai people, the butterfly is a symbol of beauty, lightness, and freedom. Various lexical-semantic features and word formation models characterize the names of the butterflies. Decisive for naming butterflies were the characteristics of color, habitat, action, their similarity to other representatives of the fauna, and some mythologies that connect these insects with the other world. When naming butterflies, a distinction is made between one-part and mostly two-part (compound) words, which are formed using suffixes and analytical methods. When forming insectonyms, the most productive suffixes are -chy/-che, -ak/-ek/-k, -gash. Between the components of the actual complex compound names of insects, the attributive or isafetic connection is the most characteristic. Lexicalization, conversion with affixation (konokchy, talbyŋduush), and calquing (kachangash ‘butterfly lands on cabbage’) can be observed in the word-formation of this entomological group of vocabulary. The material studied can be used in the compilation of translation, explanation, and terminology dictionaries of the Altai language, which constitutes the practical value of this article.
Tomsk Journal of Linguistics and Anthropology. 2024;(3):32-44
32-44
Expressions of the Concept of the Verb ‘To Go’ in Udihe: Polysemy and Directions of Metaphorical Transfers
Abstract
This article was written according to the author’s report in September 2023 at the Tomsk State Pedagogical University at the international conference “XXX Dulson Readings”. This work describes how to express the concept of the verb ‘to go’ in Udihe. After analyzing about 80 verbs meaning ‘to go,’ we have concluded that this verb is expressed in the language in two basic ways – lexically and derivationally. The derivational suffix -nawith the semantic purpose of the movement is attached to the verbs of different lexical-semantic groups and transfers these verbs into the lexical-semantic group ‘to go’ (ulene- ʻto go digʼ, guŋne- ʻto go say something). An important feature is the lexical diversity of the verbs, which denote not only general but also specific types of the verb ‘to go’ (eme- ʻto comeʼ, uǯa- ʻto follow the track of an animal, aŋanagi- ʻto go backʼ). In addition, this paper discusses several verbs whose figurative meaning correlates with the concept of the verb ‘to go’ (ñuhana- ʻdiveʼ, edine- ʻblow windʼ). This study is based on the work devoted to the related Manchu-Tungusic languages – Manchurian, Nanay, Evenki, Oroch, and Orok (Uilta). The material of the Samoyed and Turkic languages that are typologically similar to Udihe – Nenets, Tuvan, Altai, and Khakass – is also of interest. In addition, the material of the Slavic and Germanic languages that are typologically different from Udihe – Russian and English – is also involved in the study.
Tomsk Journal of Linguistics and Anthropology. 2024;(3):45-53
45-53
Vectors of Vocabulary Dynamics in the Russian and Ossetian Languages
Abstract
The topic of this article is lexical transformations as peculiar markers of the dynamics of modern language systems. However, in the context of the erasure of national differences, scholarly attention is focused on the process of regionalization, the relevance of which is ensured by its important role in intercultural communication: as a mechanism for the formation of national identity, regionalization is a kind of reaction to the negative challenges of globalization. The article aims to consider various manifestations of the dictionary updating process and compare modern Russian and Ossetian vocabulary in this respect. Russian explanatory dictionaries and translated Ossetian-Russian dictionaries were used as research material; information from a linguistic survey of a particular population group is undoubtedly relevant. The observations on the following vectors of the mentioned dynamics are presented: Neologization and internationalization of vocabulary; democratization and liberalization of vocabulary; the return of obsolete lexemes into active word use; and characteristic shifts in the structure of conceptual content motivated by the updating of denotations. The peculiarities of vocabulary changes in the Russian and Ossetian lexical systems are presented based on relevant observations. It is argued that within the processes of neologization and internationalization, the nature of the dynamics in these languages is generally identical, although the innovations in Ossetian vocabulary are more often two-dimensional (formal-semantic) in nature and “their occurrence is due to the resources of both Russian and, to a lesser extent, the Ossetian language itself...” (1, p. 730). Functional shifts manifest themselves in accordance with two multidirectional vectors: on the one hand, the influence of globalization and, on the other, the process of regionalization, which allows for a kind of preservation of ethnic identity. While the Russian linguistic taste is very hostile to the intensive liberalization and even criminalization of the modern lexical stock, the modern Ossetian language, on the contrary, shows the traditional norms of linguistic activity: the historically formed way of life, which is largely relevant for the modern speakers of the Ossetian language, largely motivates the patterns of behavior, including the patterns of linguistic taste.
Tomsk Journal of Linguistics and Anthropology. 2024;(3):54-62
54-62
The Image of the Family in the Paremiological Worldview of the Khakass
Abstract
This article is devoted to the description of Khakass proverbs and sayings that depict the image of a family and family relationships. Currently, many issues related to the description of the image of the family through paremic expressions in the Khakass language have not yet been adequately addressed, which determines the relevance of this study. The authors have concluded that the image of the family is widespread in Khakass proverbs and sayings. It is found in the images of bride/groom, husband/wife, father/mother, children, and brother/sister. The images of bride and groom are represented by the traditional marriage customs of the Khakass, in which the seok (clan) plays an important role. The relationship between husband and wife is governed by behavioral norms based on the principles of equality, friendship, love, and loyalty to each other. Mothers and fathers act as role models for their children, who often inherit their character traits and habits. The mother’s image is endowed with warm qualities and seems more significant than the image of the father, whom his children and relatives respect. Children, brothers, and sisters are the main components of family relationships in Khakass paremiology. The theme of children in Khakass paremiology is emphasized by the emotional and evaluative aspect of perceiving a child as an object of love and tenderness on the one hand and as a manifestation of parental disappointment and bitterness in response to their indifference on the other. The difficulties of bringing up children are addressed, as is the problem of childlessness against the background of the value of a large family. The brother’s image is endowed with the role of protector and supporter of the family, as is that of the sister – with kindness, tenderness, and responsiveness. The preservation of the ethnocultural constants of the traditional Khakass worldview, which represents the highest value of the integrity of the family and the clan, must be observed. The image of the family in Khakass society consists of adherence to the basic principles of mutual help, support, respect for each other, honoring the elders, and caring for the younger ones.
Tomsk Journal of Linguistics and Anthropology. 2024;(3):63-72
63-72
ANTHROPOLOGY
The Peculiarities of the Existence of Ethnic Traditions in the Legends of the Russians and Buryats about Barguts
Abstract
The article is devoted to the analysis of the structure of Russian and Buryat legends about the Barguts, which belong to the microlocal tradition (Barguzinsky district of the Republic of Buryatia). Comparative studies of the legends created by Russian settlers when settling in new territories compared to the legends of the indigenous peoples are considered important. The work aims to determine the peculiarities of the local tradition of the Buryats and Russians in the legends of the Barguts and the peculiarities of the reflection of ethnocultural features in the conditions of territorial interethnic contacts. The imagological method of analysis will make it possible to trace the process of formation of the image of the stranger (the Bargut) in the Russian tradition in comparison with the Buryat view of this image, and the hermeneutic method of interpretation of the narratives is also required. The legends tell of the Barguts, one of the Mongolian tribes that once inhabited this region. The sources of the study are archival records of Russian legends and field materials of the author of the work. In legends with a similar plot, the reason for the exodus of the Indigenous people of the region is a single motif, namely the appearance of a white birch tree in a coniferous forest, characterized by the opposition’ friend – foe’ by the color code ‘white – black’, the phytocode ‘birch – coniferous’. As part of the study, the structural characteristics of the legends about the Barguts in various ethnic traditions were determined. A variable transformation of the invariant of the exodus motif of the Barguts in the Russian tradition, which is connected with the legends of the Chudes, is revealed: they go away, bury themselves, dig themselves into pits, throw themselves off cliffs, drown themselves in rivers. The motif of the suicide of foreign, hostile people is the most important structural factor in the construction of Russian legends. In the Buryat legends, the stable motif of departure, and not mythological suicide, is connected with the historical events of the exodus of the Barguts, a closely related tribe, and their contemporaries. The most important conclusion is the identification of the phenomenon of folkloric local narrative, in which the content of ethnic and/or historical memory, transformation, and adaptation to a foreign cultural stereotype is manifested. Under the conditions of the cultural border, the ‘foreign’, which acquires an ambiguous meaning, almost becomes the ‘own.’
Tomsk Journal of Linguistics and Anthropology. 2024;(3):73-80
73-80
The Secrets of the Taras Settlements of the Historical Past of the Nomadic Confederations of North Asia
Abstract
The article aims to raise the question of the existence of a deep and, therefore, unexplored Uralic Adstratum in the historiography of the nomadic confederation of the epoch of a certain area – Eastern Transbaikalia. The article is devoted to little-studied topics, the range of which is very wide, as they are related to the results of regional archeology and regional historical onomastics. In connection with the aim of clarifying the issues of cultural genesis and ethnogenesis of the Buryats by providing an example of understanding related sciences, the article attempts to solve a number of problems. First, the article describes the etymology of oikonyms, the topological basis of which is connected with the Dagur language. The names of the settlements (oikonyms) illustrate the Daurian historical period of Eastern Transbaikalia. Secondly, the article attempts to connect the unclear aspects of regional studies with historical onomastics using the example of archeological cultures. Toponyms, which in their possible meaning reveal a connection between the ancient Mongolian tribes and a very distant period, illustrate the presence of fortified settlements – taras’. Thirdly, this article aims to comprehensively understand the presence of adstrate-substrate elements of a particular zone as an area of the diachronic Ural-Altai language union due to the contact of different ethnic elements. The stratigraphy of the toponymic substrate and adstratum makes it possible to declare the presence, in addition to the Ob-Ugric substrate, of a deeper adstratum that reveals a connection with the Ural-speaking tribes of Tartaria. The article contains a comprehensive description of the results of regional archeology (including Lake Baikal) and regional onomastics, which makes it possible to assess the scientific value of the question of the ethnolinguistic origin of the era of the ancient Mongolian tribes of the so-called White Tatars. The unknown White Tatars, who belonged to nomadic confederations, are perhaps those mysterious inhabitants of North Asia, from whom the practice of building fortified settlements – Kars and Taras – as well as palace complexes – the Konduisky Palace – has been preserved.
Tomsk Journal of Linguistics and Anthropology. 2024;(3):81-91
81-91
The Burial Rite and the Concept of Death among the Modern Yakuts (Based on Materials from Central Yakutia)
Abstract
The article is devoted to a little-researched topic – the modern concept of death and the burial and memorial rituals of the Yakuts. The material for the article was collected over the last ten years during archeological and ethnographic expeditions in Central Yakutia. The research aims to raise a problem for the study of death in modern Yakut culture and to introduce field material into the academic field. The modern rules and traditions of funeral and memorial rites result from an overlap of early pagan, Christian, and late Soviet traditions, but with a high degree of conservatism. The fear of death and the dead persists (especially the fear of people who have died a ‘bad’ death). The conditions of death and elements of funeral rituals remain a kind of label for the life of a good person. In modern times, the traditional indicators of a good life are supplemented by professional success, social prestige, and material wealth. An ‘easy’ death confirms this with high-quality funeral arrangements and the number of guests at the memorial dinner. There is a desire to carry out the entire cycle of funeral and memorial rituals correctly to bring peace to the soul of the deceased and ensure the safety of loved ones. At the same time, in Central Yakutia, local differences were noted in the calculation of the period from the occurrence of death to burial, the disposal of personal belongings, and the organization of the memorial meal. The depicted interpretation of the ordeals of the soul of iye-kut on its way to the world of ancestors reflects an ideal scenario of a cattle breeder’s life: the presence of family and descendants, a horse breeding with all aspects of a cattle household from participation in horse races to the Kumys festival. The modern burial rite of the Yakuts holds great information potential and can serve as a source for a study of self-identification and various aspects of culture.
Tomsk Journal of Linguistics and Anthropology. 2024;(3):92-102
92-102
The Organization of a Festive Feast in a Village in Komi in the Years 1917–1960
Abstract
The article examines the changes in the organization of a feast in a village in Komi in 1917–1960 and identifies the ethnocultural peculiarities in the composition of the feast dishes. The relevance of the topic is explained by the need to examine the process of feasting to preserve identity in a multinational world. The sources for writing the article were the memories of residents of the Komi Republic and photos of feasts from that time. The emergence of a new festive culture was associated with the ideological restructuring of society and the state. The new holidays were divided into three types: those associated with the most significant events in Soviet history (October Revolution); those that sacralized the social structure (Teacher’s Day); “those that embodied a certain ideologeme” (International Labor Day). The knowledge of the previously existing program for celebrating the holidays of the church calendar was retained, as well as some food attributes (Kulich, Easter cake) of the calendar ritual. The organization of the new holidays of the Soviet era according to the developed scheme was carried out by the local administration and Komsomol activists, and participation in the festive events was mandatory for everyone. However, the food crisis, which was observed from the beginning of the revolutionary events until the end of the 1950s, did not allow mass festivities to be organized. The social feasts of a rural community with rich food, characteristic of the 1920s, were replaced by modest tea parties with traditional pastries, whose festive atmosphere was created by background music. However, the earlier practice of holding a public feast at the end of farm work remained. A certain improvement in food supplies in the 1950s made it possible to organize house parties for a circle of people connected by kinship or professional interests. At the same time, the integrating character of the feast remained. Festive dishes were prepared from homemade products; only flour and cereals, tea, gingerbread, cakes, sweets, and alcoholic beverages were bought. Purchased sweets and alcohol were clearly considered attributes of the festive table. The ethnocultural character of the festive menu was evident in the practice of serving traditional baked goods, game and fish dishes, mushrooms, and berries.
Tomsk Journal of Linguistics and Anthropology. 2024;(3):103-112
103-112
The Tuvan Depictions of Shamanic Headdresses
Abstract
This article examines the Tuvan mythological representations of shamanic headdresses. It shows that the role and meaning of the ritual hats of magical specialists used in rituals were interpreted differently in the Tuvan environment. The popular interpretations of shamanic headdresses reflect the most important concepts of shamanism - the tripartition of the world, ideas about the shaman’s choice, his role as a mediator between the world of humans and spirits, the shaman’s guardian spirits and assistants, the meaning and symbolism of the shaman’s hat in the performance of rituals. The semantic and pragmatic aspects of images of the human face, often found on ritual headdresses, are analyzed. The ideas of the tradition bearers about the painted parts of the human face (eyes, nose, mouth, ears) on shaman hats, which were supposed to have a magical influence on the course of rituals, fulfill ritual functions – increase the ritual power of the shaman, support him in rituals and protect him from hostile forces. It has been proven that the Tuvan shamans used bird feathers for their ritual hats and bird heads and animal skins, which were regarded as protective spirits and helpers of the shaman. According to Tuvan belief, during the rituals, the shaman took on the form of the animals and birds that adorned his headdress and were his guardian spirits to achieve positive results from the ritual. The distinguishing features of the shaman’s hats within the ritual depended on its goals – for better or for worse, on the age of the magical specialist, often also on the nature of the healing ritual – for a seriously ill or dying person, because strong shamans leading the ritual practice could wear two headdresses depending on the semantic orientation of the ritual. According to the Tuvans, the headdress of a Tuvan shaman as part of his ritual clothing fulfilled ritual, magical, communicative, contacting, symbolic, differentiating, and protective functions.
Tomsk Journal of Linguistics and Anthropology. 2024;(3):113-122
113-122
Guest Visits in the Contemporary Festive and Ritual Culture of the Chuvash People
Abstract
The article examines the tradition of guest visits retpe çӳreni/ertele kaini in the contemporary festive and ritual culture of the Chuvash people using the example of rural communities – the traditional environment for the emergence and existence of their ethnic culture. The study aims to identify forms of visits and determine their role in the system of social relations of an ethnic group. The work characterizes traditional elements and innovations in the culture of hospitality, describes the main signs of change in this custom, and identifies factors of change under the influence of socio-economic factors in the – first decades of the XXI century. The article considers the guest visit as a socially conditioned phenomenon, which, in its dynamics, reflects the processes of social change. The study is based on the field material collected by the authors in 1998–2003 and 2020–2022 in the republics of Bashkortostan and Tatarstan, the Samara region, and the Republic of Chuvashia. The study shows that the traditions of visits were part of the festivals and rituals of the Chuvash people, determined the structure, spatial, temporal, and action-related characteristics, and acted as one of the effective forms of social interaction within the patronymic groups at the level of the rural community. In contemporary culture, visits and related ritual actions continue to exist in integral form or as separate elements in the Chuvash calendar ritual, forming an important part of religious and ritual practices in some rural areas. Elements of guest etiquette, the digital ritual code, the attitude towards guests as part of the ritual, the preparation of traditional dishes, etc., have been preserved. The existing practices of hosting people at home show that this form of social interaction is necessary to maintain and strengthen intra-village relationships and family ties. The change in customs is expressed more in the fact that the traditional forms are being replaced by innovations that are not ethnic in nature, that the composition of the participants, the forms of hospitality, and their characteristics are changing, and that the ritual is diminishing over time. The changes are due to the weakening (sometimes loss) of family and neighborhood ties in rural communities, the declining importance of folk festivals and rituals in public life, and the advent of modern means of communication.
Tomsk Journal of Linguistics and Anthropology. 2024;(3):123-135
123-135