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DOI: 10.23671/VNC.2020.8.58151
CHROMATIC SYNCRETISM IN THE OSSETIAN LANGUAGE
Gutieva, Elmira T.
Kavkaz Forum. 2020. Issue 1.
Abstract:
Chromatic syncretism for the cold colors of the spectrum is noted in the
semantics of the Ossetian adjective c’æx, in the modern language this syncretic
word is lexicalized as «green», «light-blue», «dark-blue», «gray», and «glaucous».
The accumulated empirical material and theoretical generalizations based on
the analysis of the data from most of the world’s known languages can give
a new impetus for considering the evolution of the lexical-semantic group of
color perception words in the Ossetian language, the method of etymological
extrapolation may allow us to trace the most likely scenario for the development
of the Ossetian lexeme. Traditionally, the adjective c’æx is considered a Caucasian
contribution to the lexical system of the Ossetian language. The arguments for
the Caucasian origin of the term are the quality of its initial consonant; several
not systemic parallels from the languages of the neighboring peoples. However,
the assumption that, at some stage, the color word designating a non-primary
color increases its semantics by assigning the lexemes of the primary colors that
existed in the language and displacing the latter from the system, contradicts
the established patterns of the language development and trends towards
evolutionary differentiation of the color palette of a language. The lack of
precedents described in the literature for converting a loan into a syncretic
chromatic lexeme in the host language, as well as some parallels in the related
Iranian languages, make it possible to revise the retrospection of this Ossetian
word and consider it an autochthonous unit. In this case, the inherent syncretism
should be considered a relic of the ancient chromatic syncretism, which can be
traced back to the Scythian-Sarmatian period of the language history. For a color
word with a sufficiently wide color value and in the absence of systemic direct
parallels in other Iranian languages, the search for etymon presents objective
difficulties.
Keywords: the Ossetian language, borrowing, etymology, chromatic syncretism, lexical-semantic group.
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