Verbalization of Fear in the Buryat Language

Abstract

The author considers Buryat lexemes naming various manifestations of fear, as well as phraseological units of the corresponding semantic field. The connection between the acoustic-articulatory characteristics of the dominant consonants of the root and the psychological manifestations of fear is revealed. The dominant consonant of the root, being the carrier of the general characteristic, contains basic information about the denotatum. Thus, it has been found that the dominant consonant [g], due to the contact of the back of the tongue with the soft palate, indicates breath delay. The dominant consonant [l] conveys the flow of air, a sharp inhalation, the dominant consonants [r], [ǰ] and [č], causing internal discomfort, serve to actualize trembling in the spoken language. Further research in this direction will reveal the sound-symbolic meanings of lexemes that update information not only on psychological characteristics, but also on the properties of the surface, the shape of the object, dynamic states and other characteristics. Phraseological units characterize such physiological forms of fear manifestation as a chill on the back, trembling, stirring of hair on the head, widening of the eyes, numbness and an attempt to escape. Phraseological units with the component zürhen ‘heart’ are also considered. It has the meanings ‘will, determination, courage’ and is close to the word zorig ‘courage, willpower’. Phraseological units are illustrated with quotations from Buryat fiction, demonstrating the natural functioning of fear emotives in the language. The national-cultural specificity is revealed in the development of the meaning of the Mongolian verb hulchiih ‘to be afraid’ based on the meaning of ‘to press your ears with fear (about a horse or a dog)’. In general, the proverbs with the word morin ‘horse’ in the Mongolian languages depict this animal as a very valuable animal for a nomad; it is not by chance that it is called morin erdeni ‘horse-jewel’, in most cases the component morin has a positive emotional coloring. However, ‘a horse’ can actualize other metaphorical meanings that figuratively characterize a person, namely his cowardice. The components of phraseological units denoting domestic animals, also participating in the interpretation of the surrounding reality, form national and cultural stereotypes, reflect the mentality of the people, their identity and peculiarities of world perception.