Article

Name: Names of larch in the Odul language and the traditional worldview of the Forest Yukaghirs

Authors: Praskovya E. Prokopeva

Institute of the Humanities and the Indigenous Peoples of the North of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Yakutsk, Russian Federation

In the section Linguistics

Abstract:

This paper examines the semantic, morphemic, and linguocultural aspects of the various designations for larch within the Odul (Forest Yukaghir) language. The abundance of larch trees in the ancestral territories of the Forest Yukaghirs, along with their crucial economic significance, has firmly established the tree as a cornerstone of the people’s traditional beliefs. The significance of this species is so pronounced that the Yukaghirs differentiate it from the broader plant kingdom, referring to it exclusively as “the Yukaghir tree.” Drawing from various historical and linguistic sources, the study identifies thirteen distinct terms for larch. These terms are categorized based on tree age, external physical characteristics, and traditional beliefs regarding the identity between humans and trees. General categories, encompassing terms like “young trees,” are represented by six words, with an additional seven terms exhibiting narrow, specialized connotations that reflect the “man-tree” ontological connection. These specific terms originate from shamanic cults and ancestor worship, encompassing the practice of assigning “personal trees” linked to an individual’s vitality. Furthermore, the study analyzes the morphemic composition of these lexemes, proposing hypotheses regarding the meanings and etymological origins of individual words. Finally, the study contextualizes these findings by drawing comparisons with linguistic data from the Tundra Yukaghir language.

Keywords: forest Yukaghirs, Yukaghir language, phytonyms, semantics, linguistic worldview, larch, tradi-tional worldview of the Yukaghirs

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