Structural and semantic analysis of Russian and Chinese phraseological units with the numeral "three"

Abstract

This paper presents a comparative investigation of the metaphorical semantics of the numeral "three" in Russian and Chinese phraseological units (PU). The aim of the study is to identify similarities and differences in the meaning of the number "three" in these PUs and to determine the national peculiarities of their usage. The authors apply a lexico-semantic synchronous approach, focusing on the semantic analysis of the number "three" in terms of its metaphorical lexical meanings and lexical-syntactic groups indicating quantity. The study confirms that symbolic meanings of the number "three" in Russian and Chinese PUs sometimes coincide, yet there are distinct national specificities. In Russian PUs, the number "three" often carries the meaning of "more than the norm," reflecting the transition from ancient to modern linguistic worldview. In Chinese PUs, the meaning "less than the norm" is entirely absent, but the overall usage of the number "three" is more ambiguous, often serving to generalize similar characteristics. The research findings have practical implications for cross-linguistic communication and cultural understanding. The authors conclude that Russian PUs with the number "three" conveying the meaning of "more than the norm" are prevalent in contemporary speech, while those with the meaning of "norm" have become outdated. The analysis of evaluative language in Chinese PUs shows a preference for metaphors related to objects or concepts rather than groups of people. The study underscores the significance of cultural context in the analysis of the symbolic semantics of the number "three" in phraseology and demonstrates the potential of contrastive linguistics in better understanding linguistic peculiarities and cultural nuances.