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PHRASEOLOGICAL UNITS WITH THE COLOUR DESIGNATION
COMPONENT IN ENGLISH AND KARAKALPAK LANGUAGES
Abdiniyazova Sarbinaz
Karakalpak State University
Email:
Abstract
: Colour has always been of great importance in the life of a person. We cannot
imagine the life without colour. This article aims at comparing phraseological units which contain
elements of colour designation in English and Karakalpak languages. Emphasis is done on the
analysis of theoretical data on the subject; determining the role and meaning of phraseological
units in the English language. The author has considered colour as a component of the cultural
connotation of phraseological units, has classified and disclosed the meaning of phraseological
units with a colour designation component. This article includes some examples of English
phraseological units which have equivalents in Karakalpak language.
Key words:
phraseology, idiom, English, Karakalpak, equivalent, colour designation.
Introduction.
In each language and each nation there are some expressions that are reproduced
in speech like a word, and cannot be created in the process of communication or
writing a text. Such stable phrases are called phraseological units, phraseological
phrases or phrases, which together form the phraseological unit of the language or
phrases.
It is difficult to overestimate the role of colour perception of the world by a
person. Through colour (clothing, national symbols, customs), we can identify the
mood, emotions and even important events that are happening at that moment in a
person’s life. The phenomenon of colour has become the subject of study for many
linguists, psychologists, which can be explained by the importance of this
phenomenon in people's lives. On the basis of colour customs, for example, one can
trace the historical formation of the people.
Literature review
A lot of attention is paid to the study of the linguistic aspect of the problem of
colour designation in the works of scientists from different countries and languages.
Highlighting colour designation as a special linguistic-conceptual category, in them
colour designation is considered on the material of different languages in cognitive
and sociocultural aspects (E. Sapir and B. Wharf, Berlin V. and Kay R. (1949), Kay
R., Berlin B., Maffi L., Merrifield W. (2003), Saunders B., Van Brakel (1997),
Bernstein (1973), Brown (1976), Collier (1976), Hickerson (1971), Durbin (1972),
Conklin (1973), Bakhilina N. B., Kulpina V. G., Matveev B. I., Pemyakin F.N.,
Chumak-Zhun I. I.). The problem of colour designation was widely considered in the
comparative typological aspect. Based on the material of various comparable
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languages, it was developed by such researchers as V. A. Yurik, A. S. Pankratiev, G.
E. Astramskayte, M. N. Ganikhodzhaev, A. P. Vasilevich, Y. N. Skokan, R.
Alimpieva V., Basharina A.K., Bedoidze L.G., Belyaeva N.D., Bonderman D.A.,
Bragina A.A., Burlak A.I., Granovskaya L.M., Matveev B. I Chumak-Zhun I.I.,
Shemyakin F.N. Comparative typological research also allows one to most fully
identify the features of linguistic conceptualization of colour by representatives of
different linguistic cultures.
The usage of the colours in English and Karakalpak languages
Phraseology- is one of the most important branches of linguistics. Phraseology –
(from the Greek “phrasis” and “logos”) is a science that studies stable combinations
of words – phraseological units. As Belinskiy mentioned “ Ásirler dawamında xalıq
tárepinen dóretilgen idiomalar yamasa rusizmler tildiń xalıqlıq kelbetin, ózgeshe
quralın ájayip sap baylıǵın quraydı.” “Idioms, phraseological units which have been
created for ages show not only nation’s language expression but also they involve the
nation’s culture” [E.Berdimuratov, A.Dawletov (1979)]
In ancient times, the Karakalpaks identified the age of the person by their
clothes especially with the colours. For instance, the youth wore bright coloured
clothes, the elderly people who are at the age of 50-60 wore yellow and after 70, they
wore white coloured clothes. When somediv’s relatives died or something bad
happened, those people wore blue or black. According to culture, colour means a lot.
White. White tea or white coffee means the coffee/tea with milk.
A white lie- means a lie to save, the lie which is told for goodness.
In most countries, white means good and always symbolizes purity, light,
holiness [Chernysheva I.I. (1974)].
In Karakalpak language, it also symbolizes goodness. For example, “aq kewil,
aq kókirek”– if we translate these directly, it means white soul. The meaning of these
phrases symbolyzes the people who never think bad for other[J.Eshbaev (1985):37].
Awzınan appaq may aǵıw-the direct translation is to flow whiter oil from mouth.
If we translate it into English word by word it cannot make any sense but the
meaning is not be necessary to anything or to be rich.
Black: Black look - a gloomy, menacing look. Just like white in most countries
is associated with good, black means evil. In this idiom, the neutral word “look” takes
on a negative connotation, as it is determined by black colour. For example: She has
black look.
Black sheep – strange. The “black sheep” in English is a well-established
expression denoting a person who is very different from others, often
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uncommunicative, who has some serious flaw. In this case, the word “black” is used
as a qualifier for the word “sheep” to emphasize that this phenomenon is abnormal.
For example: I feel myself as a black sheep.
In Karakalpak language, it also symbolizes evil. For instance,
“Qara jol”- black way. It means the people who are unhappy.
“Qara basin jutiw”- to swallow black head. It means to die because of the
person’s own fault. [J.Eshbaev (1985):85,90]
Izine qara ermew-the translation is not to be followed black. If we translate it
directly, it cannot make sense, but the meaning is to be lonely or not to have any
children.
To see red – get angry. It is believed, however, erroneously that when a bull sees
a red colour, it becomes very angry, aggressive. People quickly adopted this
“feature” of the behaviour of a bull into the arsenal in order to describe the degree of
anger of other people. For example: It really makes me see red when I see many trees
are thoughtlessly cut down by people.
To put out the red carpet. This expression is used in a figurative sense. For
example, if a student won the Olympics, the teacher can jokingly suggest “To put out
the red carpet” (spread the red carpet). A student traveling to his parents on vacation
can also use this phrase. In such situations, the idiom means welcome. The meaning
of red for Europeans is twofold - it is a danger, a threat, and at the same time a
holiday.
“Qızara bórtiw”- growing red if it is translated word by word. The meaning is to
enjoy.
“Qolı qızılǵa tiyiw”- to touch red if we translate the phrase directly but the
meaning is to find a fortune. [J.Eshbaev (1985):107,112]
There are a lot of phrasal verbs according to the colour especially involving the
colours white, black, red and we can rarely face the colours yellow and blue. As in
every nation, the white symbolizes goodness, purity, brightness, holiness, the black
symbolizes evil.
Conclusion
Colour used in phraseological units is very important in every language because
it is deeply connected with the culture. Colour naming system is widely developed as
every colour has unique meaning. According to this research, there are some
similarities between colours used in phraseological units. There are a lot of phrasal
verbs according to the colour especially involving the colours white, black, red and
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we can rarely face the colours yellow and blue. As in every nation, the white
symbolizes goodness, purity, brightness, holiness, the black symbolizes evil.
As for the phraseological units, it is thought as a combination of language
units, the meaning of which does not coincide with the value of its elements.
Phraseological units are products of the secondary nomination. They are formed on
the basis of an image enclosed in an internal form. Firstly, the internal form (just its
image) motivates semantics, and secondly, it is the source of the cultural connotation.
A semantic analysis of English phraseological units confirmed that in most cases
such expressions are based on associative connections and concepts of human
thinking.
References:
1.
J.Eshbaev (1985) Qaraqalpaq tiliniń qısqasha frazeologiyalıq sózligi
2.
E.Berdimuratov, A.Dawletov (1979) Házirgi qaraqalpaq tili
3.
Berlin, B. & Kay, P. (2008). Basic Color Terms: their Universality and Evolution.
Berkeley: University of California Press.
4.
Chernysheva I.I. (1974). Tekstoobrazuyushchiye potentsii frazeologicheskih
yedinits. Moskva: Lingvistika teksta.
5.
Cowie, A.P. (1998). Phraseology – Theory, Analysis, and Applications. Oxford:
Clarendon Press.
6.
David, G. (1986). Dictionary of English Idioms. Oxford: Penguin books.
7.
Fedulenkova T. (1999). Diachronic Approach to the Study of Communicative
Phraseological Units. Northern Development and Sustainable Livelihoods:
Towards a Critical Circumpolar Agenda. Volume 6. Pp. 41-42.
8.
Fedulenkova T. (2000). Development of English proverbs. Sociolinguistic
Symposium 2000: Abstracts. P. 172.
9.
Fedulenkova T. (2003). A new approach to the clipping of communicative
phraseological units. European Society for the Study of English. Volume 36. –
Pp. 11-22.
