Этимология и семантика цветообозначения «красный» (红) в русском и китайском языках

Abstract

The study aims to identify the features of the etymology and semantics of the color term ‘red’ (красный, 红 hóng) in Russian and Chinese to determine the similarities and differences in the symbolic content of this notion in the two cultures. The work is novel in that it is the first to analyze and compare phraseological units with the lexeme ‘red’ in the Russian and Chinese languages in the linguocultural aspect and to identify the peculiarities of the use of a number of synonymous words with the meaning of ‘red’ (红 hóng; 赤 chì; 朱 zhū; 丹 dān). A comparative approach involving sources in Chinese not only made it possible to clarify the etymology of the notion under study, but also to deepen the understanding of commonalities and differences in the cognitive perception of this color term. As a result, the main semantic groups of the lexeme ‘red’ are identified according to the principle of their earliest appearance and spheres of use; examples of the use of these color terms in phraseological units in direct and figurative meanings are given; semantically similar color terms (红; 赤; 朱; 丹) are compared; in addition, the symbolism of red in Russian and Chinese cultures is also shown.