The representation of the semantics of the lexemes "sweetness" and 甜/甘 by cross-linguistic and cross-cultural comparison

There is a growing scholarly interest in the comparative and contrastive study of culture as reflected in language in linguistics. This approach involves examining and describing national and cultural characteristics as expressed through linguistic units. The study of the linguistic worldview is considered one of the key areas in modern linguistics, bringing together diverse approaches and methods. Through comparative analysis, it becomes possible to capture the unique forms of symbolic memory inherent in each linguoculture. The study of word meanings, their potential connections with other words and structures in language, and conducting linguistic comparisons based on lexical research is an important philological task. This article presents a comparative analysis of the Russian lexeme “сладость” (sweetness) and the Chinese words “甜” (Tián) and “甘” (Gān). The research aims to identify similarities and differences in the meanings and usage of these words, focusing on examples of taste perception, emotional connotation, and linguistic-cultural features. The study employs the method of comparative analysis based on authoritative Russian and Chinese dictionaries to illustrate the core meanings and figurative uses of the words. The results convincingly demonstrate that the Russian lexeme “сладость” and the Chinese lexemes “甜” and “甘” exhibit significant similarities in denoting taste perception. However, differences become evident in the emotional context and social functions of the words. Notably, in Chinese, the word “甜” can also signify work or profit, a nuance absent in the Russian usage of “сладость”. This analysis highlights both commonalities and unique aspects, revealing linguistic-cultural and emotional distinctions between the two languages.

Sweetness, Linguacultural, Semantics, Comparative analysis, Taste, Russian language, Chinese language, national-cultural peculiarity, culture, emotion