Anthropocentric Semantic Change in Yakut and Old Altaic Color Names

So far, the semantics of Yakut and Altaic color names have not been analyzed from the anthropocentric perspective of semantic change. The study aims to show the universal and ethnic peculiarities in the semantic divergence and convergence of Yakut and Altaic color names. The analysis of the semantic structure of basic color lexemes in Yakut and Altaic languages revealed both common and specific features. Both Yakut and Altaic color names develop derivational-referential, figurative, and phraseological meanings as a result of divergent and convergent development and expansion of semantics. For the first time, the semantic divergence and convergence in Yakut and Altaic color names are examined. The analysis of lexical and phraseological polysemy shows divergence and convergence in the semantic change of lexical units. The anthropocentrism of semantic change in Yakut and Altaic color names is revealed when phrasemes develop a figurative meaning due to structural separability, and complete or partial reinterpretation of their constituents. The general research method is inductiondeduction, and the linguistic methods include componential analysis, the method of phraseological identification, and the comparative analysis of Yakut and Altaic color names. The analysis of dictionary entries in lexicographic and phraseographic sources was used to describe the semantic structure of lexical and phraseological units. It was found that Yakut and Altaic, as related languages, have more universal than ethnically specific color names, as they both belong to the Eastern Hun branch of the Turkic language, while ethnically specific color names are determined by lifestyle and climate. The continuous accumulation of research material on related and unrelated languages and the breakthroughs in information technology keep the interest in the further development of this problem alive. The research material can be used in theoretical lectures and practical courses on comparative linguistics.

anthropocentrism, color names, Yakut, Altai, lexical and phraseological unit, divergence and convergence of semantic change