Finno-Permic phytonymical portraits. Dandelion. Taraxacum
English
journal number:
Journal’s Subject Headings:
Philology
About author:
A. Herzen Russian State Pedagogical University, Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation, [email protected]
ABSTRACT
Introduction: in the work the author researches folk names of dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) in FinnoPermic languages presenting one of the main branches of Finno-Ugric languages, excluding the Ugric languages (Ob-Ugric and Hungarian).
Dandelion is a plant widespread in the Finno-Ugric area with noticeable external features. It is used by man for various purposes – as an edible plant, medicinal plant, and for animal feed. That’s why the names of dandelion are numerous and diverse; they are present in all Finno-Permic languages, and therefore are convenient for research.
Objective: is to research folk names of dandelion in Finno-Permic languages in various aspects. The etymology of phytonyms, features of their distribution, as well as the issues of nomination of dandelion in all languages of the branch, including identification of common models of nomination for a number of languages, are researched. A comparative method is widely used in the work.
Research materials: the article is written on the basis of more than forty lexicographical and other sources on vocabulary (including phytonymy) of Finno-Ugric and contact languages. In connection with the abundance of sources we have placed only those sources in the list of literature, which for any reason had to be referred directly in the text.
Results and novelty of the research: more than one hundred and fifty dandelion names have been identified in Finno-Permic languages. These names can be divided into one hundred and twenty-nine lexico-semantic models. Most of the names of this plant were formed as a result of the nomination on signs of yellow color of the flower, form and properties of the deflowered plant, the presence of the lacteal juice, as well as the form of the stem which is hollow and tubular. The names of various animals are part of many complex dandelion names as their first component: flea, ladybirds, bull, wolf, crow, foal, hare, nightjar, cow, bream, wasp, pig, and dog. The reasons of inclusion of these zoosemisms into phytonyms are unclear in most cases. The composite names of dandelion can be built according to different semantical models; the part of such models is active in two or more related languages. In most cases, one semantic model produces only one phytonym in one language or dialect. Most dandelion names in Finno-Permic languages are composite in form, and the determinant (the qualifier of a class of an object of nomination) can be a part of them as the last component. Some dandelion names are figurative.
The research of all folk names of one plant on the material of Finno-Permic languages is made for the first time; the author also offers a new explanation of origin of some phytonyms. Data and conclusions of the research can be used in further studies of vocabulary of Finno-Ugric languages.
Key words: Finno-Ugric languages, Finno-Permic languages, vocabulary, phytonyms, names of plants, dandelion.
For citation: Brodsky I.V. Finno-Permic phytonymical portraits. Dandelion. Taraxacum // Vestnik ugrovedenia = Bulletin of Ugric Studies. 2018; 8(2): 216–228.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: in the work the author researches folk names of dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) in FinnoPermic languages presenting one of the main branches of Finno-Ugric languages, excluding the Ugric languages (Ob-Ugric and Hungarian).
Dandelion is a plant widespread in the Finno-Ugric area with noticeable external features. It is used by man for various purposes – as an edible plant, medicinal plant, and for animal feed. That’s why the names of dandelion are numerous and diverse; they are present in all Finno-Permic languages, and therefore are convenient for research.
Objective: is to research folk names of dandelion in Finno-Permic languages in various aspects. The etymology of phytonyms, features of their distribution, as well as the issues of nomination of dandelion in all languages of the branch, including identification of common models of nomination for a number of languages, are researched. A comparative method is widely used in the work.
Research materials: the article is written on the basis of more than forty lexicographical and other sources on vocabulary (including phytonymy) of Finno-Ugric and contact languages. In connection with the abundance of sources we have placed only those sources in the list of literature, which for any reason had to be referred directly in the text.
Results and novelty of the research: more than one hundred and fifty dandelion names have been identified in Finno-Permic languages. These names can be divided into one hundred and twenty-nine lexico-semantic models. Most of the names of this plant were formed as a result of the nomination on signs of yellow color of the flower, form and properties of the deflowered plant, the presence of the lacteal juice, as well as the form of the stem which is hollow and tubular. The names of various animals are part of many complex dandelion names as their first component: flea, ladybirds, bull, wolf, crow, foal, hare, nightjar, cow, bream, wasp, pig, and dog. The reasons of inclusion of these zoosemisms into phytonyms are unclear in most cases. The composite names of dandelion can be built according to different semantical models; the part of such models is active in two or more related languages. In most cases, one semantic model produces only one phytonym in one language or dialect. Most dandelion names in Finno-Permic languages are composite in form, and the determinant (the qualifier of a class of an object of nomination) can be a part of them as the last component. Some dandelion names are figurative.
The research of all folk names of one plant on the material of Finno-Permic languages is made for the first time; the author also offers a new explanation of origin of some phytonyms. Data and conclusions of the research can be used in further studies of vocabulary of Finno-Ugric languages.
Key words: Finno-Ugric languages, Finno-Permic languages, vocabulary, phytonyms, names of plants, dandelion.
For citation: Brodsky I.V. Finno-Permic phytonymical portraits. Dandelion. Taraxacum // Vestnik ugrovedenia = Bulletin of Ugric Studies. 2018; 8(2): 216–228.
