The idea of "luck" in Russian and Chinese cultures

Abstract

The article examines the idea of "luck" in two linguistic worldviews – Russian and Chinese. The research is comapartive, two linguocultures are compared. The description of each concept follows a clear algorithm: the etymology of the word is studied, the mythological roots of the idea are explored, its collocations are analyzed, and the material connotation, following V. A. Uspensky, is extracted from these collocations. This is followed by a comparison of dictionary definitions. The goal of the research is to identify the features of how this idea is represented in different cultures using the semantic field of the concept "luck" in Russian and Chinese languages. The comparison is aimed at revealing the similarities and differences in the worldview of different peoples. The scientific methods employed in this research include the comparative-historical method, the method of generalization, and the method of semantic analysis. It is important to note that this topic is considered underexplored, and previously, there have been no linguocultural studies that comprehensively analyze this idea within the context of Russian and Chinese cultures. This makes the research scientifically innovative. The results obtained from this research will significantly contribute to mutual understanding among nations and can be seen as a kind of conceptual bridge promoting better mutual understanding between representatives of different cultures. Furthermore, the findings can be useful in the development of courses in regional studies, comparative cultural studies, and in the teaching of relevant languages. Thus, this research has a wide range of applications in both scientific and educational fields.