Komi Language Research Articles

Финская литература в переводах В. И. Лыткина

The paper deals with the analysis of the translation activity of the famous Komi scientist and poet V. I. Lytkin, aimed at publishing works of Finnish literature in the Komi language. The research materials are V. I. Lytkin’s translations of the XLI Rune of “Kalevala” and the poetry of Juhana Heikki Erkko, as well as originals of translated works in Finnish. By comparing texts in two languages, the level of complience of translations with the originals is established, discrepancies and their causes are identified.

Old Permic Universal Dependencies Treebank

Old Permic, also known as Old Komi, is an extinct variety of Komi that was spoken in the late Middle Ages in the lower Vychegda river basin in Northeastern European Russia, in an area that currently is not Komi-speaking. This language variety is attested in fragmentary records from the 14th to 17th century written both in the Old Permic alphabet and in Cyrillic. These records are of significant importance for research on the history of the Komi language. Here we introduce our attempt towards a new Universal Dependencies treebank that will eventually contain the existing corpus of Old Permic in a structured and CoNLL-U annotated format. This will be the first time this material is being made openly available in digital format, and our contribution describes the current state of the art and remaining challenges.

Names of small fur-bearing animals in the Komi language

Introduction. The paper considers the hunting vocabulary in the Komi language. As an independent microsystem, it studies the designations used for the nomination of small fur-bearing animals living on the territory of the Komi Republic. The whole set of the lexical units refers to both types of forest inhabitants – predators and herbivores. The analysis of the factual material is carried out to establish the main stages of the formation and development of this component of the Komi language hunting vocabulary. Materials and Methods. The material contained in the paper refers to the Komi literary language. Of the dialect names, only a few examples are given that are contained in normative dictionaries. The names of both primordial and foreign-language origin are considered. When developing the research topic, the author uses such methods as descriptive, comparative-historical, synchronous-comparative and statistical, as well as methods of semantic and structural-word-formation analysis. Results and Discussion. The article is the first experience of linguistic research of the names of small fur-bearing animals in the Komi language. By substantial basis, this lexical microsystem refers to the designations of the hunting object. The analysis of the factual material was carried out using synchronous and diachronic research methods. Based on the systematization of the available proto-forms, a diachronic hierarchy of the primordial vocabulary is characterized by four components of ancient names: Proto-Finno-Ugric, Proto-Finno-Permian, Proto-Permian and Proto-Komi. It establishes the types and quantitative composition of a group of foreign-language names consisting of ancient and late borrowings. Conclusion. The formation of the Komi language vocabulary related to small fur-bearing commercial animals has taken place over many millennia since the Proto-Finno-Ugric epoch. Most of the names of the analyzed microsystem belong to the primordial vocabulary fund of the Komi language. The foreign-language component of the names of small fur-bearing animals takes an insignificant place, its formation occurred as a result of the penetration of borrowings from two external sources.

Intonation as a means of conveying an utterance in Komi prose

Introduction. The purpose of this paper is to study intonation features and means of conveying speech acts in Komi works of art. The voice as a source of information was not in the focus of the attention of Komi linguists, the issues of Komi intonation and the means of their reflection have not been studied. In this regard, the address to the general characteristics of how Komi prose writers reflect the intonation features of their characters’ speech is considered relevant in the Komi language and allows us to speak about a new method of studying the perception of phrasal intonation. Materials and Methods. The material for the study based on the examples from the works of modern fiction of Komi classics. The methodological basis of the study was a set of such linguistic methods as descriptive, perceptual analysis of phrasal intonation, linguistic analysis of the text, elements of structural and semantic analysis. Results and Discussion. The study of intonation allowed us to state a number of prosodic signs. The described speech of the characters of literary works was studied according to various parameters of acoustics: duration, intensity, pitch, timbre, tempo, rhythm; by means of non-speech sounds, through an indication of the features of articulation, diction; by similarity with the phenomena of the sounding world. It was found that the author’s remarks of works of art describe the speech volume of the characters in particular detail, the intensity of the sounding speech. Conclusions. The research material has shown that the language functions of intonation can be fully and consistently reflected not only in live sounding speech, but also in writing in the form of the speech of the literary hero of prose works. The functions and expressive possibilities of intonation are contained in the author’s designations of prosodic characteristics of speech. An important role is played by the individual style of the author, which is distinguished by sensitivity to the sound side of the speech of thier characters.

У истоков становления коми диалектологии как науки

The Komi dialectology originated in the XIX century as the scientists compiled their first lexicographic works and is associated with the names of famous researchers P.I. Savvaitov, N.P. Popov, F.I. Videman, G.S. Lytkin and others. Towards the second half of the XX century, the lexicography of the Komi language was a successfully developing scientific sphere. In the 1960s-1980s, unique dialectological materials were first introduced into scientific circulation in form of separate monographic works on the Upper Vychegda, Syktyvkar, Upper Sysola, Izhma, Pechora, Lower Vychegda, Middle Sysola, Luza-Letka, Udora dialects. This was possible by efforts of the researchers who stood at the origins of the Komi linguistic science. One of them is Tatiana Ivanovna Zhilina, a qualified specialist in the field of the Komi dialectology and lexicography, Candidate of Philological Sciences. The lexical materials accumulated by her in numerous expeditions to the basins of the Vym, Vychegda, Sysola, Luza, Letka Rivers, as well as to the Trans-Ural and Kama regions, contain more than 100 thousand units and are a reliable empirical base, the national word stock of the Komi language. In spite of the lack of proper technical equipment at that time, the professionalism and conscientious attitude to work of Tatiana Ivanovna do not allow us to doubt the reliability of the obtained results today. There are no analogues among the Finno-Ugric centers in Russia yet and they are not expected to appear in the foreseeable future.

The correlation of the Komi-Permian and Komi-Zyryan elements in the vocabulary of the Upper-Kama idiom

Introduction. The Upper-Kama dialect is one of the varieties of the Komi language, which is rather common in the Afanasyevsky area of the Kirov region. The dialect is an intermediate idiom between the Komi-Permian and Komi-Zyryan languages. The purpose of the paper is to analyze the Komi-Permian and Komi-Zyryan components in the lexical system of the dialect. Materials and Methods. The material for the study was collected during dialectological expeditions to the area of residence of the Kirov Permians in 2002–2012. It was collected from native speakers with a high level of language competence. The research was carried out using descriptive, comparative and statistical methods. Results and Discussion. The vocabulary of the Upper-Kama dialect is heterogeneous. The most numerous group of words common for the Komi-Permian and Komi-Zyryan dialects is distinguished. Lexemes in the Upper Kama dialects and at a larger territory in the Komi-Zyryan language, but are absent in the Komi-Permian one. There is also a group of words which correspondences are recorded in the southern Komi-Zyryan dialects: Mid-Sysola, Luza-Letka and mainly in the Upper-Sysola one. On the territory of the Upper-Kama idiom there are the lexemes, which isoglosses cover the Upper-Kama and Komi-Permian dialects. However, there are not so many similar Komi-Permian-Upper-Kama isoglosses; most of them can be found in the Zyryan dialects. As a result of the analysis of the texts in the Upper-Kama dialect, it turned out that the overwhelming majority of lexemes are found in all varieties of Komi languages. Conclusion. The analysis of the lexical composition of the Upper-Kama dialect has shown that the specified idiom cannot be unconditionally attributed to the Komi-Permian language, since the correlation of the Komi-Zyryan and Komi-Permian lexical features in it is approximately the same.

Лексика охотничьего промысла в коми языке: обозначения водоплавающих птиц

Лексика охотничьего промысла в коми языке: обозначения водоплавающих птиц

Русско-зырянский словарь Лепехина-Ундольского: к истории открытия и изучения

The publication summarizes the history of studying one of the main documents of the historical lexicography of the Komi language - the Russian-Zyryan dictionary-phrasebook, discovered by academician Ivan Lepekhin during his expedition in 1771. In terms of structure and lexical composition, the document was studied in the middle of the last century, but the history of its discovery, origin and attribution (authorship, possible source, etc.) have not yet been the subject of special research. The authors touch upon one of the important aspects of this problem, namely, the problem of identifying lists and establishing earlier sources of the dictionary. They comprehensively analyze the manuscript of the Zyryan-Russian dictionary-phrasebook in the archival collection of Vukol Undolsky. This manuscript is traditionally considered an independent list going back to some kind of an original common with the Lepyokhin dictionary. The document is considered from the point of view of its origin and relation to Lepyokhin’s dictionary-phrasebook; the processed vocabulary material significant for their identification is introduced into scholarly discourse. The analysis showed that the structure and content of the compared dictionaries are almost identical. A large number of errors, distortions of Komi words, inaccurate and incorrect translations, missing words, etc., common to both dictionaries, were revealed. The discrepancies in the compared texts are insignificant. These include: (a) Komi words, erroneous spelling in which is explained by the fact that they are transmitted from a language unknown to the copyist; (b) Russian words and borrowings, in which the copyist’s correction was made; (c) most of the discrepancies concerning the merged/separate spelling of Komi words are explained by the peculiarities of the copyist’s handwriting and his spelling preferences. Indirect evidence in favor of the author’s version is also provided by other Komi materials from the Undolsky collection, which are generally comparable with the expedition materials of Lepyokhin. This is the Komi-Permyak dictionary, written down personally by Lepyokhin in the Komi-Permyak village Selishchi, the names of the letters of the ancient Permyak alphabet and the count in the Komi-Zyryan language, published in “Daily Notes”. The comparative analysis of the dictionaries of Lepyokhin and Undolsky, according to the author, does not allow us to make an unambiguous conclusion about the recognition of the above dictionaries as independent lists from an earlier original. Almost all the discrepancies in the texts of dictionaries, the totality of common errors, inaccuracies and distortions of Komi words, as well as indirect evidence of Undolsky’s familiarization with the expedition materials on the Komi language published in Volume III of “Daily Notes”, testify in favor of the fact that the dictionary in the Undolsky collection is a handwritten copy of Lepyokhin’s dictionary. The author declares no conflicts of interests.

Contact-setting communikemes in the Komi language

lntroduction. The article describes the contact-setting communikemes in the Komi language. The subject of the research is the implicit meanings and intentions of communicants transmitted by these syntactic units. The purpose of the work is to identify and describe the most common contact-establishing communikemes in the Komi language, their pragmatic specifics, and the features of functioning in speech. Materials and Methods. The article employs mostly descriptive-analytical method. The sources of the research are contact-establishing communikemes found in Komi fiction by the method of continuous sampling. The author analyzes about 70 communikemes and over 200 of their implementations in texts. Results and Discussion. In the Komi language, contact-setting communikemes are few in number. The main sphere of functioning of these syntactic constructions is replica-stimuli, in some cases replica-reactions. The main functions of contact-establishing communikemes are speech-regulatory: establishing contact, maintaining a conversation, and activating the addressee. These units are aimed at coordinating communication strategies, as a result of which a harmonious dialogue and effective speech interaction can be ensured. The study identifies and characterizes three groups of contact-making communikemes found in the Komi language: to establish contact; to express readiness to make contact; to maintain contact. The most common among them are communikemes, which are used to establish contact, in particular, communication communikemes. Conclusion. Contact-setting communikemes are the most important means of establishing contact and entering into verbal communication.

Nomination of a hunting object in the Komi language

Introduction. The paper deals with two components of the hunting vocabulary, namely large wild animals, and medium-sized forest dwellers. Each component sub-defines the nominative units related to predators and herbivores are distinguished and separately considered in the paper. In the first part of the study, the composition is determined and a brief description of the relevant representatives of the local commercial fauna in the Komi Territory is given. The second part presents a diachronic hierarchy of the analyzed primordial vocabulary, compiled on the basis of the classification of proto-linguistic reconstructions. Materials and Methods. The analyzed material refers mainly to the Komi literary language. The paper considers the names of both native and foreign-language origin. The main methods used by the author in developing the research topic are descriptive, comparative-historical, synchronous-comparative and statistical. Results and Discussion. For the first time the article presents a linguistic analysis using the biological classification of two lexical subgroups belonging to one of the microsystems of the hunting vocabulary in the Komi language. It was established that the object of the study has ancient origins and the designations of primordial origin make its basis. In the composition of this variety of hunting vocabulary it presents Proto-Finno-Ugric, Proto-Finno-Permian, Proto-Permian and Proto-Komi vocabulary. A group of late formations having no genetic correspondences in other related languages appeared in the period of independent existence of the Komi-Zyryan language, after its separation from the Komi-Permian language. The foreign language component belongs to early and late borrowings. The technology of developing this topic, created by the author of the paper, can be used in the material of other related and unrelated languages. Conclusion. The formation and development of the Komi language vocabulary related to large commercially hunted animals and medium-sized wild animals has been going on for many millennia, since the Proto-Finno-Ugric epoch. Most of the names of the analyzed microsystem belong to the primordial vocabulary fund of the Komi language. A foreign-language component consisting of borrowings from 5 external sources took part in its replenishment.

ON THE DIALECTAL BASIS OF THE OLD PERMIAN LITERARY LANGUAGE

The development of their own literary language among the medieval Permians - the ancestors of the modern Komi - appears to be a unique phenomenon in the eastern part of the Finno-Ugric world. The question of the dialectal basis on which this literary language was formed was previously dealt with according to historical considerations almost without taking into account its proper linguistic features. The study of these features undertaken in the present article has demonstrated that no one of the modern Komi dialects can directly go back to the medieval dialect that formed the basis of the Old Permian literary language. Hence it follows that this medieval dialect existed in the territory where the Komi language is now lost. Taking into account the history of the Christianization of the Permians, with which the development of their own literary language was associated, it is most likely that this dialect was spoken downstream the river Vychegda to the west of the modern Komi language area.

Оленеводческий лексикон в уральских языках в контексте языковых контактов

This paper provides an overview of the study of reindeer husbandry and vocabulary associated with it on the material of the Uralic languages. The article is based on the methods of etymological and comparative analysis. The source base of the research was the dictionary materials and personal observations of the author. The purpose of this work is to analyze the reindeer herding vocabulary in the context of the linguistic contacts of the Ural peoples. It is noted that the systematic study of various aspects of reindeer husbandry based on the material of different ethnic groups began in the second half of the 20th century. The most important for the analysis are the materials of the Samoyed languages, in particular the Nenets, whose influence extended to adjacent linguistic continua. There is a section on reindeer husbandry in the context of interethnic and interlingual contacts, since the latter is often the result of economic and interethnic contacts. In a number of cases, the Nenets were the source of distribution of certain methods of using reindeer. An attempt was made to comprehensively analyze the Northern Russian dialect borrowed data, possible etymons that are recorded in the Komi language, the Baltic-Finnish, Ob-Ugric languages, as well as in the Samoyed languages. The interaction of the Samoyed, Perm and Ob-Ugric continuums is noted on the data of the vocabulary of reindeer husbandry.

THE CAT IS A SACRED IMAGE OF THE KAZYM GODDESS: ON THE PERMIAN COMPONENT IN THE KHANTY CULTURE

One of the most significant Ob-Ugric deities is the Kazym goddess (Wŭt imi, Kasәm naj, Kasәm imi); she is revered not only by the Kazym Khanty, who consider her their legendary ancestor, but also by other dialect-ethnographic groups of the Ob Ugrians. Like other patron spirits of the Ob-Ugric peoples, the Kazym goddess can take zoomorphic images, the most popular of them, associated with the goddess, is a black white-breasted cat. The research is based on ethnographic information, folklore materials, as well as sources on Khanty and Komi linguistics. The purpose of the work is to consider the data of the language and culture associated with the cult of the cat among the Kazym Khanty, as well as to compare them with the materials characterizing the image of the cat in the Perm cultures: the authors give its description (the sacred appearance of the animal into which the Kazym goddess is reincarnated), reveal the semiotic meaning, and carry out a comparative analysis. The nomination kań , presumably originating from the Komi language, is of interest. However, the analysis of the Khanty-Russian dictionaries revealed a similar vocabulary unit kɔń , káń , kań with the meaning ‘arctic fox; white beast’ in the eastern and southern dialects of the Khanty language. A special language intended for cats and dogs by the Kazym Khanty, personifying images of deities, is considered. From the general Ugro-Permian ideas about a cat: it is considered a “medium” and is able to protect from trouble.

The names of large carnivorous and herbivorous animals as part of the hunting vocabulary in the Komi language

The names of large carnivorous and herbivorous animals as part of the hunting vocabulary in the Komi language

Ономастикон Национального парка «Югыд ва»: лингвокультурологический потенциал

The «Yugyd Va» National Park is one of the unique and largest natural reserves in the world, with the largest array of virgin taiga forests in Europe. Crystal clear natural water is the main value of the park, perhaps its name comes from here - «Yugyd va», in the Komi language means “(lit.) light water”. The originality of natural landscapes, ecologically clean water and air attract travelers. Of particular importance in the tourist discourse are onomastic materials that make it possible to explicate the features of the spiritual and material development of a certain nation at a certain stage of its development. Tribes that have left a unique cultural heritage – historical onomastic realities - have long lived in the specially protected natural territories of the national park. The richness and diversity of the landscape of the studied region, its flora and fauna are reflected in the geographical vocabulary, the formation of which was strongly influenced by related and unrelated languages and dialects. The collected materials allow us to verify the toponymic system associated with the Finno-Ugric and Russian languages. Onomastic material contains a huge socio-cultural potential. Therefore, when studying proper names, one of the main approaches should be to study them as socio-cultural signs that store a significant layer of historical and cultural information. Until recently, researchers underestimated the importance of the socio-cultural component of the proper name, mainly focusing on the study of purely linguistic features, historical and comparative analysis, the presence of a conceptual national component in onyms was practically excluded. Along with the ability to transmit information that is significant to the recipient, onyms representing signs and symbols remain closed to the «uninitiated» or foreign cultural recipients. The identification of the national and cultural specifics of a proper name has an undoubted significance in terms of familiarization with someone else’s culture.

CONJUNCTIONS OF TEMPORARY MEANING IN THE DIALECTS OF THE KOMI LANGUAGE

The relevance of this work is related to the poorly studied conjunctions in the dialects of the Komi language. The study of conjunctions is relevant not only in connection with the solution of the problem of the formation of a conjunction as a part of speech, but also with the solution of problems related to the complication of a sentence, and at the same time, the syntactic structure of the language. Due to the lack of descriptions of conjunctions in the dialects of the Komi language, we continue to conduct research on the problem of "Conjunctions in the Komi-Zyryan dialects" in order to create generalizing works based on such descriptions in the future. The object of the study is the conjunctions of temporary meaning that function in the dialects of the Komi language. The scientific novelty of the study is that, for the first time, the conjunctions of temporary meaning that were not previously described in the dialects of the Komi language, are considered. Their composition in dialects is revealed; the origin, methods and ways of their formation, genetic connection with other parts of speech are established; structural features, peculiarities of their use in a sentence are determined. In the course of the study, descriptive-analytical, comparative, etymological methods, the method of lexicographic search were used.

ABOUT THE DISAPPEARED WORD NINGORON 'WOMAN' IN UDMURT LANGUAGE

The purpose of the research is to analyze the archaic vocabulary of written monuments of the Udmurt language of the 18th century. The article presents an analysis of the word ningoron ‘woman’ that disappeared in the Udmurt language, which was recorded in the handwritten dictionary of the first explorer of Siberia D.G. Messershmidt in 1726. The relevance of the proposed topic is determined not only by the fact that it, absolutely not yet investigated, is an important part of the Udmurt philological science, but also by the fact that, being at the intersection of the interests of a number of other branches of philology (etymology, modern and historical lexicology, history of the literary language (section of lexis), also almost not yet developed, creates a serious empirical basis for their development. Scientific novelty lies in the study of archaisms of the monuments of early Udmurt writing. As a result of the study, it was revealed that in the monuments of early Udmurt writing, compiled in a later period, this lexeme no longer appears. In various dictionaries and glossaries of the 18th century, only parallels kyshno synonymous with this word are cited with the broader meaning of “wife, woman” or an exact correspondence to the modern Udmurt kyshnomurt “woman.” However, the former existence of the Udmurt form of ningoron “woman” is eloquently proved by the materials of the related languages. For example, in the Komi language, the first component nin- , denoting the concept of ‘female’, is recorded in the combination nin cheri ‘female salmon’. In the modern Komi language, the nin -component is no longer used independently.

NOUN DERIVATION IN THE LANGUAGE OF THE KIROV PERMYAKS

The article describes the noun derivation system of one of the lesser-studied idioms of the Komi-Permyak language. The main focus is on the morphological means of expressing the categories of number, possessiveness and case. The paper analyzes the peculiarities of forming plurals, considers the secondary meanings of the plural marker, identifies the number of grammatical categories of possessiveness and case, describes each item of the case paradigm in terms of morphological formation, and reveals the features of the possessive declension. The empirical base of the research includes language materials collected by the author in her dialectology expeditions to the area where the Kirov Permyaks resided. Linguistic materials are analyzed and interpreted in the context of the Komi language dialectic landscape. As a result of the study, it was revealed that the noun derivation in the idiom in question is characterized by simplification and shows great similarity with the southern Zyryan dialects in its main features.

SOME FEATURES OF NAMING DISEASES IN KOMI DIALECTS

The article analyzes the popular names of smallpox and chicken pox, recorded in the “Dictionary of the Komi language dialects” (2012-2014). The semantics and the formal structure of the names are explored. The lexical units referring to smallpox include separate lexemes, which are verbal nouns formed by suffixation ( kokas' ), and compound names with two elements. The latter mostly implements the following model: "noun (in the nominative) + noun meaning ‘smallpox’, ‘disease’. The attributive component indicates the disease, its cause or the mode of transmission ( pis't'i vis'an, jen kokas', ru kokač' ). In the names of chicken pox, which, in accordance with the common notion, is a lighter variety of smallpox, compound constructions indicate the milder nature of the disease ( prestej kokas' ), and its source - the wind ( tev jyv kokač' ). The lexemes denoting smallpox ( kokač'/ kokas', pis't'i/ pis'ki ) are the base words of such phrases as well.

Языковые ошибки в переводе автобиографической книги Питирима Сорокина «A long Journey» на коми язык

Introduction: in modern linguistics, a branch of linguistics – translation studies – was formed. Its aim is to research the processes of translations from one language to other in different aspects. Based on the material of the Russian Finno-Ugric languages, this branch of science takes its first steps. In this article, we analyze the texts of the autobiography by P. Sorokin «A long Journey. The autobiography of Pitirim Sorokin» (1963) in the Russian and Komi languages; fragments of texts are compared with the original English text; language errors in translation were identified. Objective: to consider the language errors in the use of vocabulary in the text of the translation of P. A. Sorokin’s autobiography into the Komi language identified by systematic comparisons of fragments of texts in the English, Russian and Komi languages. Research materials: the texts of P. A. Sorokin’s autobiography published in separate books of different years. Results and novelty of the research: the article for the first time considers translation errors found in the text of the translation of the autobiography of the world-famous sociologist, a native of the Komi region, Pitirim Alexandrovich Sorokin into the Komi language, published as a separate book in Syktyvkar in 2013. The errors are analyzed on the basis of successive comparisons with the English-language original and the translation of the same book into the Russian, published in Syktyvkar in 1991. The analysis of the translation language (the first 40 pages of the autobiography) allowed us to conclude that the translation into the Komi language was not made from the original language, as it is stated in the bibliographic description, but from the Russian translation of the autobiography, since most of the translation errors from the Russianlanguage text were transferred to the Komi-language text.