Etymology and semantics of the color term ‘red’ (красный, 红) in Russian and Chinese
Lyulina Anastasiya Gennadievna, Wang Xuejiao
Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia; Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Liaoning University; Ufa University of Science and Technology
Submitted: 09.10.2023
Abstract. The study aims to identify the features of the etymology and semantics of the color term ‘red’ (красный, 红 hóng) in Russian and Chinese to determine the similarities and differences in the symbolic content of this notion in the two cultures. The work is novel in that it is the first to analyze and compare phraseological units with the lexeme ‘red’ in the Russian and Chinese languages in the linguocultural aspect and to identify the peculiarities of the use of a number of synonymous words with the meaning of ‘red’ (红 hóng; 赤 chì; 朱 zhū; 丹 dān). A comparative approach involving sources in Chinese not only made it possible to clarify the etymology of the notion under study, but also to deepen the understanding of commonalities and differences in the cognitive perception of this color term. As a result, the main semantic groups of the lexeme ‘red’ are identified according to the principle of their earliest appearance and spheres of use; examples of the use of these color terms in phraseological units in direct and figurative meanings are given; semantically similar color terms (红; 赤; 朱; 丹) are compared; in addition, the symbolism of red in Russian and Chinese cultures is also shown.
Key words and phrases: красный, 红, китайский язык, русский язык, символизм цветообозначений, red, Chinese language, Russian language, symbolism of color terms
Open the whole article in PDF format. Free PDF-files viewer can be downloaded .
References:
Lyu L., Rybakov M. A. Tsvetovaya simvolika v russkom i kitaiskom yazykakh i semantika gidronimov s tsvetovym komponentom // Litera. 2020. № 6.
Samokhina L. A., Ivanova L. A., Men Khunkhun. Simvolika krasnogo v russkoi i kitaiskoi lingvisticheskikh i kul'turnykh paradigmakh // Vestnik Bashkirskogo universiteta. 2018. T. 23. № 1.
Syui Khuei. Etimologiya kitaiskikh ieroglifov. Sto samykh vazhnykh kitaiskikh ieroglifov, kotorye dolzhen znat' kazhdyi / per. s kit. E. A. Kuz'minoi. M.: Shans, 2022.
Tronina V. E. Simvolika krasnogo tsveta vo frazeologii kitaiskogo yazyka // Molodye golosa: sb. tr. molodykh uchenykh. Ekaterinburg: Azhur, 2019. Vyp. 8.
U Peikhua. Semantika tsvetooboznacheniya krasnyi v kitaiskoi i russkoi lingvokul'turakh // Litera. 2019. № 6.
Русский
