Mongolic Words with the Stem Consonant l to Express ‘Look / Glance’
Year: 2019
Type: article
Abstract: Introduction. The paper deals with sound-symbolic words of Mongolic languages characterizing a look of the person. For this purpose the work first reveals the circle of sound-symbolic words with meanings ‘shining’, ‘sparkling’, which had emerged due to verbalization of visual perceptions of lighting effects. Such words form an extensive layer of lexicon of many languages of the world and represent a linguistic universal. Goals. The research primarily aims to reveal the connection between acoustic and articulation features of the root consonant l and semantics of the examined words. Semantics of a root first of all depends on acoustic and articulation features of the leader root consonant (dominant), which contains the basic information about sensually perceived phenomena, at broad variability of vowels and the umlaut and auslaut (not dominant) consonants of a root. Materials. Such various lexicographic sources as bilingual, etymological and explanatory dictionaries have been used. Dialect and folklore materials, expedition records have also been surveyed. Results. The article considers lexemes semantically connected to a look because eyes — due to optical properties — can reflect light: they can shine, sparkle etc. In considered material such signs of a look as bright / dim, long / short-term, direct / squint were revealed. On the base of functioning of the Mongolian sound-symbolic lexemes with the meaning ‘eye’ the phonetic correspondence of Mongolian kilar ‘squint’ and Russian glaz ‘eye’ is suggested. The look could express senses and emotions, so the paper considers words with the stem consonant l in which such emotions as rage, hostility, anger, fear, fault, surprise (etc.) are expressed. The work supposes that acoustic and articulation characteristics of the front occlusive-lateral sonant l most precisely suited for verbalization of gloss, glow: steady, continuous rays of light corresponded in consciousness to a smooth current of air on both sides of tongue during the articulation of consonant l. The analysis of the words to have emerged by means of perception of the shining eyes of the person allowed specifying semantics of some words in dictionaries.
Source: ORIENTAL STUDIES
Author: Ekaterina V. Sundueva
Institution: Institute of Mongolian Buddhist and Tibetan Studies
Language: English
Subfield: Language and Linguistics
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $266
OpenAlex ID: W2944092425