PERTANIKA JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES

 

e-ISSN 2231-8534
ISSN 0128-7702

Home / Regular Issue / JSSH Vol. 30 (4) Dec. 2022 / JSSH-8629-2022

 

Colour Symbolism in Turkic Culture: A New Look in the Reconstruction of Colour Designation

Bolat Khassenov, Almagul Adilova and Zhanat Rapisheva

Pertanika Journal of Social Science and Humanities, Volume 30, Issue 4, December 2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.47836/pjssh.30.4.15

Keywords: Circle with the point inside, colour space, mytholinguistics, qoŋur, symbolism of colour, Turkic languages

Published on: 15 December 2022

This article examines the colour symbolism of space (the four cardinal directions) in the Turkic languages. The ancient Turks used colourative vocabulary to refer to the four cardinal directions. In studies on Turkology, it is claimed that each ‘corner’ has its colour. In this article, the authors set the task to determine the colour symbolism of the ‘kindik-centre.’ The article uses a mytholinguistic reading of the sign ‘circle with the point inside.’ This sign in modern Kazakh mythology is used in the reconstruction of images and to explain the symbolic meaning of words. The main research material is the colourative vocabulary of the Turkic languages. In the traditions and cultures of different peoples, along with the four sides of the world, there is a concept of a centre that unites these sides. In some peoples, the centre is symbolised by colour, while in the Turkic peoples, this symbolism is absent. However, as a result of the analysis of linguistic, ethnographic and mythological data, the authors concluded that the colour of the centre of qoŋur is brown.

  • Abdrakhmanov, A. (1989). Ortalyq Kazakstan toponymikasy [Toponymy of Central Kazakhstan]. Almaty.

  • Ashmarin, N. I. (1898). Materials for the study of the Chuvash language. Typography of the Imperial University.

  • Baskakov, N. A. (1980). Models of the Turkic ethnonyms and their typological classification. In E. M. Murzaev & V. A. Nikonov (Eds.), Onomastics of the East (pp. 199-207). Nauka.

  • Bayazitova, G. R. (2013). Musical and acoustic bases of solo polyphony: Mechanisms of bourdon bass sound formation: On the example of Bashkir uzlyau. Ufa.

  • Bürbe, S. M. (1964). Musical folklore of Tuvinians. Memoirs of the Tuva Research Institute of Language, Literature and History, 11, 296-304.

  • Guénon, R. (2002). Symbols of the sacred science. Belovode.

  • Ihtisamov, K. S. (1988). To the problem of comparative study of two-voice singing and instrumental music at the Turkic and Mongolian peoples. In E. V. Gippiuis (Ed.), Folk musical instruments and instrumental music (pp. 77-83). Moscow.

  • Ivanov, V. V. (1991). Lingvisticheskiy entsiklopedicheskiy slovar’ [Linguistic Encyclopedic Dictionary]. Sovetskaya entsiklopediya.

  • Jahit, H. (2013). Semantics of colour in Turkic toponymy. Teacher XXI century, 3, 338-344.

  • Kaidar, A. (2005). Structure of single-syllable roots and bases in the Kazakh language. Nauka.

  • Kashgari, M. (1998). Divani lughat-it-turk [A collection of Turkic words] (Vol. 2). Hant.

  • Khassenov, B. (2021). Sound symbolism in the Proto-Turkic language. 3L: The Southeast Asian Journal of English Language Studies, 27(1), 102-114. https://doi.org/10.17576/3L-2021-2701-08

  • Khassenov, B., Adilova, A., Takirov, S., & Kaukerbekova, B. (2021). A new vision of numerical symbolism in calendar and life cycles. European Journal of Science and Theology, 17(1), 93-102.

  • Khassenov, B., Nefedova, L., & Adilova, A. (2020). Implementation of sound opposition in children’s speech. European Proceedings of Social and Behavioral Sciences, 86, 16-24. https://doi.org/10.15405/epsbs.2020.08.3

  • Khusainov, K. S. (1988). Sound-imagery in the Kazakh language. Nauka.

  • Klyashtorny, S. G. (2001). The notion of time and space in the Dreneturkic monuments. Gylym.

  • Kononov, A. N. (1978a). Methods and terms of the definition of the countries of the world at the Turkic peoples. In A. N. Kononov (Ed.), Turkological collection 1974 (pp. 72-91). Nauka.

  • Kononov, A. N. (1978b). Semantics of colour designations in the Türkic languages. In A. N. Kononov (Ed.), Turkological collection 1975 (pp. 159-169). Nauka.

  • Kyzlasov, I. L. (1994). Runic writings of the Eurasian steppes. East Literature.

  • Lamazhaa, C. K., & Suzukey, V. Y. (2019). Tuvan throat singing as intangible cultural heritage and as Tuva’s cultural brand. The New Research of Tuva, 2. https://doi.org/10.25178/nit.2019.2.6

  • Levitskaya, L. S., Dybo, A., & Rassadin, V. (Eds.). (2000). Etymological dictionary of the Turkic languages: Common Turkic and inter-Turkic bases in the letter ‘Q’. Languages of Russian culture.

  • Levy-Bruhl, L. (1930). Primal thinking. Atheist.

  • Lvova, E. L., Oktyabrskaya, I. V., Sagalaev, A. M., & Usmanov, M. S. (1988). Traditional worldview of the South Siberia Turks. Space and time. The world of things. Novosibirsk.

  • Nadelyaev, M., Nasilov, D., & Tenishev, E. (Eds.). (1969). Ancient Turkic dictionary. Nauka.

  • Nazhimedenov, J. (2001, March 10). Qonur unin kuridireti [The power of sound Qonur]. Ana tili. https://anatili.kazgazeta.kz/news/5913

  • Podosinov, A. V. (1999). Ex oriente lux! Orientation by the countries of the world in archaic cultures of Eurasia. Slavic culture languages.

  • Potapov, L. P. (1957). New data on the Old Turkic Ötükän. Soviet Oriental Studies, 1, 106-117.

  • Pritsak, О. (1954). Orientierung und farbsymbolik [Orientation and color symbolism]. Seculum, 5, 376-383. https://doi.org/10.7788/saeculum.1954.5.jg.376

  • Qondybay, S. (2003). Hyperborea: The ancestral epoch of dreams. Arys.

  • Qondybay, S. (2004). Mythology of protokazakh. Dike-Press.

  • Sagyndykuly, B. (2009). Phonological regularities of the Turkic languages lexical development. Arys.

  • Sartkozhauly, K. (2012). Orkhon muralary [Orientation and color symbolism]. Abzal-Ay.

  • Seidimbek, A. (1997). Küy shezhire [The Kui Chronicle]. Arys.

  • Starostin, S. (1998). The tower of Babel: An etymological database project. https://starling.rinet.ru/main.html

  • Sumlenova, E. (1985). Sampagiti Islands. Mysl.

  • Temirgazina, Z., Rakhimzhanov, K., Akosheva, M., Luczyk, M., Kulumzhanov, N., Shaharman, A., & Zyuldubayeva, R. (2022). The semiotics of family in Kazakh wedding toasts from the perspective of intercultural communication. Metaphor and the Social World, 12(2), 270-291. https://doi.org/10.1075/msw.19019.tem

  • The Holy Bible (New International Version). (2011). Biblica. https://biblia.com/books/niv2011/offset/1176926

  • Tokarev, S. A. (Ed.). (1988). Myths of the world. Soviet Encyclopedia.

  • von Gabain, A. V. (1962). Vom Sinn symbolischer Farbenbezeichnung [The meaning of symbolic color designation]. Acta Orientalia Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, 15, 111-117.

  • Zhartybayev, A., & Slambekov, N. (1997). Qaragandy oblysy oronimderinin kaybir ethno-linguistikalik faktorilar koririnisі [Some ethnolinguistic representations of the oronyms of Karaganda]. In A. Zhartybayev (Ed.), Til tarikhy zhane soz tabigaty (pp. 235-265). Gylym.