INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
ISSN: 2692-5206, Impact Factor: 12,23
American Academic publishers, volume 05, issue 07, 2025
https://www.academicpublishers.org/journals/index.php/ijai
page 215
LINGUOCULTURAL ANALYSIS OF THE CONCEPT OF COLOR IN UZBEK AND
ITALIAN FAIRY TALES
Independent researcher at Uzbekistan State World Languages University
Ergashova Baxora
Abstract
This article explores the linguocultural interpretation of the concept of color using examples from
Uzbek and Italian fairy tales. Colors are analyzed not only as a means of aesthetic expression but
also as conceptual units that reflect the mentality, customs, and values of different nations. A
linguocultural analysis of the Uzbek fairy tale
“Zumrad and Qimmat”
and the Italian tale
“The
Wolf and the Three Girls”
reveals intercultural similarities and differences in the perception of
color.
Keywords:
color concept, linguoculturology, fairy tale, oral folklore, semantics, metaphor
O’zbek va italyan ertaklarida rang konseptining lingvokulturologik tahlili
Annotatsiya
Ushbu maqolada rang konseptining lingvokulturologik talqini o‘zbek va italyan ertaklari misolida
o‘rganiladi. Ranglar nafaqat estetik ifoda vositasi, balki har bir xalqning mentaliteti, urf-odatlari
va qadriyatlarini ifodalovchi konseptual birlik sifatida tahlil qilinadi. “Zumrad va Qimmat”
(o‘zbek ertagi) va “Il lupo e le tre ragazze” (Bo’ri va uch qiz) ertaklari asosida amalga oshirilgan
lingvokulturologik tahlil rang tushunchasining madaniyatlararo o‘xshash va farqli jihatlarini ochib
beradi.
Kalit so‘zlar:
rang konsepti, lingvokulturologiya, ertak, xalq og‘zaki ijodi, semantika, metafora
Лингвокультурологический анализ концепта цвета в узбекских и итальянских
сказках
Аннотация
В данной статье исследуется лингвокультурологическая интерпретация концепта цвета на
примере узбекских и итальянских сказок. Цвета анализируются не только как средство
эстетического выражения, но и как концептуальная единица, отражающая менталитет,
обычаи и ценности каждого народа. Лингвокультурологический анализ, проведенный на
основе сказок «Зумрад и Киммат» (узбекская сказка) и «Волк и три девушки» (итальянская
сказка), раскрывает межкультурные сходства и различия в понимании цвета.
Ключевые слова:
концепт цвета, лингвокультурология, сказка, устное народное
творчество, семантика, метафора.
INTRODUCTION
In modern linguistics, color terms are studied not merely as ordinary lexical units but as concepts
closely intertwined with culture. Through colors, people perceive the world, express emotions, and
shape aesthetic and moral standards. Therefore, the way color concepts are represented in folk
tales requires special research at the intersection of linguistics and cultural studies. Fairy tales, as
reflections of folk consciousness, convey national worldviews, social values, and aesthetic ideals
through their use of color. In this regard, Uzbek and Italian fairy tales serve as valuable material
for intercultural analysis.
The aim of this article is to identify the semantic and cultural diversity of color concepts in Uzbek
and Italian fairy tales and to conduct a comparative analysis of their linguocultural features. While
several studies in Uzbek linguistics have explored the semantics of colors and their roles in
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
ISSN: 2692-5206, Impact Factor: 12,23
American Academic publishers, volume 05, issue 07, 2025
https://www.academicpublishers.org/journals/index.php/ijai
page 216
phraseology and paremiology, in-depth analyses within the context of fairy tales from a
linguocultural perspective remain relatively limited.
Traditional meanings of colors in Uzbek culture—such as red symbolizing weddings and
celebrations, blue associated with mourning (and, in recent cultural developments, blue
representing a male child and pink a female child), green standing for nature and hope, and black
indicating danger or misfortune—have been studied to some extent. However, their specific
functions in fairy tales and their comparison with the use of colors in Italian tales have not yet been
fully explored.
In Italian linguistics and within the broader European context, there exists extensive research on
the cultural and symbolic meanings of colors and their reflection in literature. In Italian fairy tales,
colors often play a crucial role in depicting the traits of characters, the essence of events, and the
dichotomy between good and evil.
MAIN PART
In linguoculturology, scholars who have studied the concept of color and worked on this topic can
be divided into two main groups: those who have dealt with general linguoculturology and the
concept of color, and those who have specifically explored the use of colors within Uzbek or Italian
culture.
For instance, the renowned Russian linguist and linguoculturologist V.I. Karasik conducted
fundamental research on the theory of concepts, cultural concepts, and their reflection in language.
The concept of color features prominently in his studies. His monograph
"The Language Circle:
Personality, Concepts, Discourse"
serves as one of the key sources on this topic. Another major
scholar, N.I. Tolstoy, focused on the linguistic geography and ethnography of Slavic languages,
paying close attention to the interconnection between language and culture. His works such as
"Language and Folk Culture"
and
"Slavic Antiquities: Ethnolinguistic Dictionary"
made a
significant contribution to the development of linguoculturology.
Yu.A. Sorokin and I.Yu. Markovina are also recognized for their studies on the relationship
between cultural stereotypes and language. They investigated the national and cultural
characteristics of colors. B. Berlin and P. Kay, in their seminal work
"Basic Color Terms: Their
Universality and Evolution" (1969)
, explored the universal and culture-specific features of color
terms in various languages. They proposed an evolutionary model of color terminology.
In Italian linguistics, several scholars have also studied the linguistic and cultural aspects of colors,
often from the perspective of semantics, semiotics, and cultural studies. One such scholar is
Umberto Eco, a renowned Italian semiotician. Although he did not focus directly on color
concepts, his theoretical work in semiotics and culture is fundamentally important for
understanding the symbolic meanings of colors.
Research on the semantics of colors in Italian is often found in academic journals of local
universities and in doctoral dissertations. In Uzbek linguistics, there are also scholars who have
explored the semantics and linguocultural aspects of color lexicon, though their work is typically
presented in the form of monographs or dissertations. Among them, N. Mahmudov is considered
one of the key scholars who studied the cultural-linguistic characteristics of the Uzbek language.
His works are important for understanding the connection between language and culture. Sh.
Abdullaeva has also conducted research on the linguocultural features of color-expressing units in
the Uzbek language. Her work sheds light on the role of colors in Uzbek culture.
This article analyzes the linguocultural features in Italian and Uzbek fairy tales, with particular
emphasis on the concept of color. As a case study, we focus on the Uzbek folk tale
"Zumrad and
Qimmat"
. The central theme of the tale is the triumph of goodness and kindness, the reward of
hard work, and the value of honesty. The tale contains numerous linguistic units reflecting national
and cultural views, some of which will be analyzed in detail.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
ISSN: 2692-5206, Impact Factor: 12,23
American Academic publishers, volume 05, issue 07, 2025
https://www.academicpublishers.org/journals/index.php/ijai
page 217
“My white daughter, my sweet girl! My little dumpling, my precious one!”
— said the mother,
stroking her daughter’s head with affection. These words were addressed to Qimmat by her
mother, and the term
“white”
here (in Uzbek:
oppoq
) indicates an intensified form of the color
white, symbolizing the girl's innocence, purity, and beauty. In Uzbek culture, the color white often
represents peace, happiness, new beginnings, purity, and cleanliness. For example, newborns are
wrapped in white swaddles, and the deceased are washed and covered in white cloth before burial.
Moreover, expressions such as
“raised with white milk”
emphasize the purity and sanctity of a
mother’s nurturing.
“There is a white chest and a red chest on the roof. Leave the white one and bring down the red
one!”
— the woman said before disappearing into the forest. This sentence foreshadows the
conclusion of the tale, where the differently colored chests symbolize rewards reflecting different
personalities and behaviors. Interestingly, in this context, white does not denote a positive meaning
but rather refers to the chest containing punishment or disappointment, granted for bad behavior.
This suggests that in some contexts, white may carry negative connotations. Conversely, the red
chest is portrayed as the reward for Zumrad’s politeness, diligence, and kind-heartedness, and thus
the red color here has a positive value. In Uzbek, red can symbolize youth, courage, strength,
shame, or even anger, depending on the context.
“After that, Zumrad and her kind-hearted father lived peacefully and fulfilled their dreams.”
The phrase
“kind-hearted”
(
oq ko‘ngil
) in Uzbek is used to describe someone with a pure heart
and no ill intentions. This expression is culturally specific and cannot be replaced by another word
or color. It represents a distinct element of Uzbek cultural worldview. Its antonym is not expressed
as
“black-hearted”
(
qorako‘ngil
), but rather commonly as
“ichi qora”
("black inside") in spoken
Uzbek, indicating a malicious or spiteful person.
“The
dark
forest
appeared
even
more
frightening
to
her.”
In this sentence, the forest being described as “dark” (
qora
) implies both the onset of night and a
symbol of fear or danger. In Uzbek, black carries a wide range of meanings: it can denote mourning
or sorrow, luxury and wealth among certain groups, or grief and misfortune, depending on the
context. Its semantic field is rich and widely used in various discourses.
Turning to Italian linguistics, color symbolism plays a notable role in Italian culture as well. For
instance, during
Natale
(Christmas), which is a major religious holiday in Italy, every family
member traditionally wears or carries at least one red-colored item. Red decorations are also placed
on the table. This color is considered a symbol of the holiday, believed to bring good fortune.
Furthermore, red represents vitality, love, and power in Italian culture.
The color blue is commonly associated with calmness, trust, and loyalty. In the Italian fairy tale
“The Wolf and the Three Girls,”
color symbolism also appears prominently. The plot of this tale
echoes the famous
Little Red Riding Hood
story. Upon hearing of their mother’s illness, the three
sisters decide to travel to the town of Borgoforte to check on her. The eldest daughter bakes sweets
and sets off, only to encounter a cunning wolf in the forest, who steals all her food. She returns
home empty-handed. The second daughter meets the same fate. Only the youngest manages to
trick the wolf and continue on her journey, but upon arrival, discovers the wolf has already
devoured her mother.
In this tale, colors again serve as symbolic cues. Consider the following line:
“Arrivò la bambina, vide la mamma che faceva appena capolino dalle lenzuola, e le disse: —
Come
sei
diventata
nera,
mamma.”
(The girl arrived and saw her mother’s face barely showing from under the covers and said,
“Mother, how black you’ve become!”)
“Sono
stati
tutti
i
mali
che
ho
avuto,
bambina,”
—
disse
il
lupo.
(“It’s because of all the suffering I’ve endured, my child,” said the wolf.)
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
ISSN: 2692-5206, Impact Factor: 12,23
American Academic publishers, volume 05, issue 07, 2025
https://www.academicpublishers.org/journals/index.php/ijai
page 218
This exchange highlights how the child, not recognizing her mother, comments on her darkened
appearance. The wolf attributes this to the suffering and hardship “she” (really he) has experienced.
Here, black represents pain, illness, and perhaps even death — similar to how it is used
metaphorically in Uzbek.
This clearly shows that in Italian, the color black is also used in meanings such as
“dark days,”
“grief,”
and
“sorrow.”
In addition, black conveys meanings like
“mysterious”
and
“unknown”
(
mistero e ignoto
), as seen in the expression
“un futuro nero”
—which refers to an uncertain or
threatening future. It is also associated with mourning and death (
lutto e morte
), as in the phrase
“vestirsi di nero”
—the traditional practice of wearing black to honor the deceased.
The color white, which is considered the opposite of black, holds positive connotations in Italian
culture such as purity, cleanliness, light, and beginnings. For instance, the
“white flag”
(
bandiera
bianca
) is a symbol of truce and peace. In religious and philosophical contexts, white is used to
represent divinity and eternal truth.
As we can see, colors function as widely used components in both literary texts and spoken
language. They are employed not only in their literal sense but also as expressive units. For
example, in Uzbek, the idiom
“his face turned as white as milk (or flour)”
describes someone
whose face turns pale due to fear or anxiety. The Italian equivalent is
“diventare bianco per la
paura”
(“to turn white with fear”). Similarly, in Italian, the idiom
“diventare rosso come un
pomodoro”
(“to turn as red as a tomato”) is widely used to describe a person blushing out of
embarrassment or nervousness. In Uzbek, a similar concept is expressed with the idiom
“turned
as red as a beet”
(
sholg‘omday qizarib ketdi
).
In Italian, the color green also carries specific meanings. It symbolizes nature and life, as in
“il
verde dei campi”
—“the green of the fields,” representing natural landscapes and fertility. Green
also connotes hope, as in the widely used saying
“La speranza è verde”
—“hope is green,” which
is common in Italian culture. Furthermore, it can refer to youth and inexperience, as in
“un ragazzo
ancora verde”
—“a boy still green,” meaning young and lacking experience.
To conclude, colors serve as important linguistic tools to express human emotions and internal
states, as well as to describe objects and events. Although Uzbek and Italian belong to distinct
language families, both make rich use of words at an artistic level. This article has explored the
concept of color in Uzbek and Italian fairy tales from a linguocultural perspective.
The findings of the study demonstrate that colors are not only aesthetic or descriptive elements,
but also essential linguistic units expressing deep symbolic meanings within language and culture.
In both Uzbek and Italian cultures, colors have specific meanings and contextual uses that reflect
national worldviews and cultural stereotypes.
The linguocultural aspects analyzed in this article reveal that colors represent a unique link
between language and culture and play a significant role in expressing culture through language.
The lexical items related to color in Uzbek and Italian, as well as the differences in their use, are
crucial for understanding the cultural context embedded in each language.
Moreover, this article shows that analyzing the concept of color in the context of folk tales offers
a deeper understanding of the complex relationship between language and culture. This research
may serve as a foundation for further linguocultural studies on color symbolism in the future.
References:
1. B.Ergashova. Lingvokulturologiya – til va madaniyatning o‘zaro bog‘liqligi. Xorijiy filologiya
№2 (95): 141-146 betlar.
, 1921 – 103-bet
2.Usmonova Sh. ‘‘Lingvokulturologiya’’ (darslik). – Toshkent, 2019 – 82-bet
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
ISSN: 2692-5206, Impact Factor: 12,23
American Academic publishers, volume 05, issue 07, 2025
https://www.academicpublishers.org/journals/index.php/ijai
page 219
3.V.V. Vorobyov. Лингвокультурология: теория и методы. – РУДН (Rossiya Do‘stlik
Universiteti), 1997 – 36-bet
4.Eragashova B., O’zbek folklorshunosligining tarixi va taraqqiyoti. – So’z san’ati jurnali, 2024.
5.V.N.
Teliya.
‘‘Русская
фразеология:
Семантический,
прагматический
и
лингвокультурологический аспекты’’, Школа «Языки русской культуры», 1996 – 123-bet
6.Yu.S. Stepanov. ‘‘Константы: Словарь русской культуры. Опыт исследования’’, Школа
‘‘Языки русской культуры’’, 1997 – 453-bet
7. A.D. Arutyunova. ‘‘Дискурс’’, Наука, 1990 – 250-bet
8. V.A. Maslova. ‘‘Лингвокультурология’’, Academia, 2001 – 108-bet
9. Vilgelm fon Gumboldt. ‘‘Über die Verschiedenheit des menschlichen Sprachbaues und ihren
Einfluss auf die geistige Entwickelung des Menschengeschlechts’’, Berlin, 1836 – 283-bet
10. Valentina Aleksandrovna Maslova. “Введение в лингвокультурологию”, 1997 – 125-bet
11. Z.I.Soliyeva. ‘‘The role of linguoculturology in linguistics’’. Buxoro, 2024 – 404-bet
12. D.Xudoyberganova. “Matnning antroposentrik tadqiqi”. Toshkent. 2013 – 53-bet
13. Nizomiddin Mahmudov.
‘‘Tilning mukammal tadqiqi yo‘llarini izlab...’’. Toshkent:
‘‘O‘zbek tili va adabiyoti’’
jurnali. 2012 – 3-16 betlar
14. Shaxriyor Safarov. ‘‘
Kognitiv tilshunoslik’’
. Jizzax:
“Sangzor”. 2006 – 98-bet
15. Ergashova B.
O‘zbek folklorshunosligining tarixi va taraqqiyoti. O’zMU xabarlari. 1/1. 2025,
346-349 bb.
