Figurative Vocabulary in the Yakut and Buryat Epics: Lexical Parallels

Abstract

Introduction. The article presents a comparative analysis of the figurative vocabulary of the Yakut and Buryat languages on the basis of epic texts. The figurative vocabulary in both languages is specific part of its lexicon which have a common roots. The purpose of the study is to identify the features of the use of lexical parallels of the Yakut and Buryat figurative vocabulary in the texts of the Buryat uliger and Yakut olonkho. The relevance of the study is determined by the growing interest in linguistic folklore in the study of language based on the material of epic texts in order to identify the specifics of the language of the epic as a whole. For research a lexical and semantic analysis and comparative historical method were used. Materials. The texts of the Buryat uliger “Alamzhi Bergen” by E. Shalbykov and the Yakut olonkho “Kyys Debiliye” by N. P. Burnashev, “Mighty Er Sogotokh” by V. O. Karataev, “Khaan Dzhargystai” by unknown olonkhosut from Verkhoyansk were used as material for the study. The three olonkho texts are represented by three main regional epic traditions, which makes it possible to take into account almost all the local features of the olonkho text. Results. The study revealed 12 lexical parallels in the figurative vocabulary presented in the Yakut and Buryat epic texts. These lexical parallels were divided into three thematic groups by the way of description. Thus, first group is figurative words describing the figure, second is the group of words describing facial expressions and face, and the last one is the words describing the shape of objects. A comparative analysis of the revealed lexical parallels showed that they have a emotionally expressive character that allows expressing the narrator’s attitude to the described object, have the same semantic meaning, the same ways of word formation and the general principle of word formation.