Definition Formulas оf Adjectives Denoting Color (on materials of the songs of the epos Dzhangar)

Abstract

The article is devoted to describing clichés-interpretations of color adjectives in the Kalmyk language. Since the explanatory dictionary is the first of its kind in the history of Kalmyk lexicography, there is no previous experience in making definitions by a group of authors, which is why it is necessary to implement the initial stage with understanding how to develop a system for word defining and show their connections within the language, presenting them in a unified and consistent way. The clichés-formulas obtained will allow providing the fullest and most accurate definitions to head words in ‘The explanatory dictionary of the Kalmyk epic ‘Dzhangar’, as well as create the environment for a more systematic definition process when describing lexical units of one theme group following the same formulas. Definitions of adjectives denoting color are presented in the explanatory dictionary in comparison with an object that is suitable and comprehensible for all Kalmyk speakers: хар - көөһин, нүрснә өңгтә ‘black - soot or coal-colored’; цаһан - цасна, үснә өңгтә ‘white - snow or milk-colored’; улан - цусна өңгтә ‘red - blood-colored’. Secondary colors, which are referred to as composite colors, include light blue, orange, gray, and brown: цеңкр - чилгр теңгрин өңгтә, цәәвр көк ‘light blue - color of a clear sky’; оошк - цәәвр улан ‘pink - light red’; күрң - чииктә һазрин өңгтә ‘brown - color of wet soil’. Besides the key adjectives with one-part structure, the epic also features color entities which consist of two equitable colors or shades (compound color adjectives), which specify their combination: 1) шар өңгин деер олн зүсн өңгтә толв ‘mottled yellow - yellow with multicolored spots’ 2) нег өңгтә биш ‘non-uniform yellow’; 3) сәәхн эрәтә шар өңгтә ‘flamboyant, bright, extravagant yellow’. The epic features words, traditionally found in folklore, which denote a color figuratively, for instance, lexical units with the primary meaning of natural material: алтн - гилвкр шар өңгтә, алтн өңгтә ‘gold -shiny yellow, color of gold’; мөңгн - өңгәрн эс гиҗ гилвкәрн цаһан мөңг дурасн, гилвкр цаһан ‘silver - resembling silver in color or in shine; shiny white’. The presented interpretation formulas for adjectives denoting color provide a basis for improving the practices for adequate interpretation and further development of clichés-interpretations for other groups in the explanatory dictionary of the Kalmyk epic ‘Dzhangar’.