Article

Name: Preliminary analysis of the Chuvash demononym

Authors: L. V. Borisova, G. G. Ilyina, E. V. Chueva

Chuvash State University, Cheboksary, Russian Federation

In the section Study of folklore

Abstract: The paper analyzes the origin and cultural semantics of the Chuvash demononyms as compo- nents of the linguistic world landscape by studying lexicographic and folklore sources and archives. The research was carried out within the contemporary sphere of philology, dealing with the analysis of language and folklore as a cultural code of an ethnos. This interdisciplinary sphere prioritizes studying the linguistic world landscape as a part of the conceptual world landscape of the ethnos above other things. Therefore, it seems relevant to consider where the demononyms of the Chuvash language originate from and what their cultural se- mantics is since they represent the Pre-Christian religious consciousness of the ancient Chuvash. Chuvash language is of significant scientific interest as the only living language of the Bulgarian branch of the Turkic languages, still preserving many characteristics of the ancient Turkic language. The research objects are the characters of the underworld, the exact evil spirits named with different demononyms, such as alpastа, arsuri, astaha, vereselen, wupar, wupkan, usal, hayar, chuunilli, shuyttan, esrel, yuhkha. The first comprehensive analysis of the Chuvash demononyms from the etymological, cognitive discourse, and linguistic and cultural aspects has been conducted. The contents of this research and its scientific conclusions are intended to facilitate the reconstruction of one of the significant structural and functional components of the Chuvash linguistic landscape.

Keywords: demononym, cognitive linguistics, connotation, Chuvash language

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