СЕМАНТИЧЕСКАЯ ДЕРИВАЦИЯ ПРИЛАГАТЕЛЬНЫХ ВКУСА В КАБАРДИНО-ЧЕРКЕССКОМ ЯЗЫКЕ

Introduction

Perception is the most important component of human life. It covers a wide range of phenomena and processes, ranging from the simple awareness of contacting with the surrounding reality, to the generalization of sensory experience in the form of certain knowledge structures reflecting the world, its separate objects and fragments. Perception forms the first stage of cognition [15, P. 17]. In fact, perception is the beginning of the history of the word, thinking and language. It has a huge impact on the language. It is the root cause of the language existence, and the direction, trajectory of language development [11], [12].

The main channels for obtaining sensory information, distinguished by Aristotle, are reduced to the main four: vision, hearing, taste, smell. They differ by the role they play in human life and the degree of representation in the language.

This article deals with adjectives of taste in the Kabardino-Circassian language. We proceed from the assumption that cognition corresponds to both conscious and thus specially flowing processes of scientific cognition and simple (sometimes unconscious) comprehension of the surrounding reality [5, P. 84-90]. The term cognition refers to all processes in which sensory data being perceived by our mind are converted into mental representations of different types and held, if necessary, in the memory of a man. Hence, it follows that the word meaning is a cognitive phenomenon behind which there is a certain structure of knowledge [5, P. 76].  It is inseparably linked with culture, consequently, the nature of semantic derivation, the trajectory of rethinking of primary meanings reflect the specific way of life of the ethnic group, its mentality, cultural stereotypes and standards [13].

Methods

General scientific methods and procedures for obtaining empirical knowledge are used in this work: observation, method of dictionary definitions analyses and comparison.  We also resorted to the modern method of introspection which implies the researcher’s   reference to the inner intuition and knowledge of the language in the interpretation of the data. The material for analyses was obtained from the available lexicographic sources of Kabardino-Circassian language [16], [17], [18] taste adjectives have been analyzed from the viewpoint of their semantic structure and   peculiarities of semantic derivation.

Discussion

It should be noted that taste belongs to the category of complex, poorly structured, diffuse sensations. Taste as a physiological term is defined as a special, specific feeling that occurs under the influence of certain flavoring substances on the taste organs of the mucous membrane of the tongue and some other parts of the oral cavity [2, P. 132].  The development of perception-related problems is of great interest in the context of modern cognitive paradigm [5, P. 84-90], [8, P. 51], [10], [7, P. 85], [4, P. 4].

Perception is interpreted as a cognitive process, not as a simple registration of external stimuli. Perception involves the active interaction of a man with the world making use of such important components as reasoning, memory, associative thinking etc. The perceived data is subjected to a complex processing in which, alongside with cognitive abilities, culture plays a significant role. Culture involves civilizational, socio-psychological and activity components, each having a complicated structure [1, P.13].

Perceptual systems, as psychologists point out, are under the constant influence of signals from the environment. Nevertheless, the sounds and scenes often unforeseen and unpredictable predominate in this flow of information [14, P. 4]. Hence, it follows that the form, size and color of the objects, their location, movement, as well as the sounds that fill this world, are easily perceived and structured by our mind and widely represented in the language. As for taste it is less significant and as a result is less structured and poorly represented in the language [9, P. 84]. But as any other segment of perception it deserves proper attention within the frame of cognitive linguistics.

Each language reflects a certain way of perception and organization of the world. All its meanings form a single system of views and reflect a special way of conceptualization of reality peculiar to this language only. The processes of categorization and conceptualization are nationally specific, as speakers of different languages see the world differently, through the prism of their languages.

Results

In the Kabardino-Circassian language the category of taste is represented by the following main adjectives – 1эф1 (sweet), гуащ1э (sour), ф1э1у (sour), дыдж (bitter), шыугъэ (salty), сыр (hot), мышыу (insipid, unsalted).

It should be noted that there is no lexeme for the general term taste uniting types of various tastes. The concept taste is always combined with its concrete manifestation, for example, дыджагъ – ‘bitterness, bitter taste’, 1эф1агъ – ‘sweet taste’.

According to the lexicographic data the lexeme 1эф1 (sweet) comprises five meanings. The primary meaning of the adjective 1эф1 is ‘sweet’: шей 1эф1 (sweet tea). The importance of having enough sugar in a product, dish or drink is conveyed by the first meaning.  Hence, its denotative reference is sugar, like in many other languages. The second meaning is ‘delicious’: шхыныгъуэ 1эф1 (delicious food). It implies such features as tasty, palatable or savory and is not connected with the sweet taste. It can be referred to any deliciously cooked food which can be salty, hot, spicy and sour, for example, джэдлыбжьэ 1эф1 (delicious gedlibzha – a national dish made of chicken and sour cream).   Also, 1эф1 - ‘sweet’ may define any well-cooked dish, like fried meat, stewed vegetables, cottage cheese etc. The third meaning is ‘sweets’: 1энэр 1эф1ым къикъутэрт (the table was full of sweets). This meaning contains a latent component - prepared by adding some sugar, but does not designate a certain sweet product, since it generates a collective meaning of sweets, desert. In this example we can observe a special way of word formation - conversion - transition from the category of adjectives to a class of substantives. The fourth meaning - sweet sparkling water: псы 1эф1 (sweet water) also remains in the domain of food as well as the previous ones.  It is remarkable that this meaning contains a collective component as the previous one. Псы 1эф1 may designate all types of the sparkling sweet water, irrespective of its sort (Cola, Pepsi, Fanta, Lemonade etc.). The fifth meaning, which is the only one showing the result of metaphorical transference means ‘pleasant, giving pleasure’: жей 1эф1 (a sweet dream). It should be noted that 1эф1 in this meaning is rather limited in its combinability. It can hardly be used with nouns like music, sounds, words (cf. English: sweet songs, music etc).

The next lexeme гуащ1э comprises four meanings. The first one is - sour, having sour taste. For example, мы1эрысэ гуащ1э – a sour apple. In comparison with the adjective 1эф1 (sweet) this lexeme has a richer semantic structure. In terms of metaphoric transference it is more varied as well.  In its second meaning гуащ1э (sour) conveys the feature ‘strong’ which is applicable only to alcoholic beverages: e.g. аркъэ гуащ1э (strong vodka). The third meaning is based on metaphorical transference and is connected with some inner qualities of a person, men in particular, and implies ‘severe’, ‘brave’: л1ы гуащ1э (sour man) - a brave, severe personality. The third meaning of гуащ1э (sour) suggests strength of character, strong personality: ‘хьэл гуащ1э’ - a strong character. Also, it is used to indicate a sharp, but fair remark, a word – псалъэ гуащ1э (sour word). The last meaning of this adjective corresponds to a notion ‘cruel’, ‘fierce’ – e.g. ‘зауэ гуащ1э’ - a cruel war.  The taste adjective гуащ1э is also used as a noun indicating ‘energy’,’ strength’, ‘labour’: игуащ1эк1э псэужын (to live by one’s own labor). The analysis of lexicographic data allows to conclude that in the Kabardino-Circassian language consciousness, the sour taste is associated with the power, strength and courage.

The adjective ф1э1у is very close to the general meaning of an adjective гуащ1э. The feature sour is the basis for both lexemes. But the sphere of application of this feature is different. Thus, ф1э1у in the Kabardino-Circassian language is referred to the products which became sour as result of incorrect handling of the product or dish (sour soup, juice), or as a result of time and temperature effect (sour milk, cream). It underlines the defective character of the product. Another meaning of taste adjective ф1э1у is prepared pickles - нащэф1э1у (pickled cucumber), къэбыстэф1э1у (sauerkraut).  So, we can conclude that this adjective conveys the idea of making something taste sour as a result of some external influence.

The next adjective relating to the semantic group of taste is дыдж (bitter). It does not have a wide range of meanings – only two. The primary meaning conveys the idea of bitterness:  хущхъуэ дыдж (a bitter medicine). The second meaning – ‘angry’, ‘bilious’, ‘caustic’ usually describes a man, mostly his moral features and activities: псалъэ дыдж (offensive words). The denotative standard of the Kabardino-Circassian дыдж (bitter) is ‘bile’. It becomes quite clear from the examples: дыджзэз (bitter bile) – conveying a high degree of bitterness. Another example: дыджзэзщи пхузэ1улъхьэкъым (so bitter that it is impossible to eat).

Taste adjectives шыугъэ – ‘salty’ and сыр – ‘hot’, ‘spicy’ are found to have no semantic development according to the dictionary data, though contextual modification of primary meaning seems quite possible.

The adjective мышыу (unsalted) which in the primary meaning is an antonym to шыугъэ (salty), referrers to tasteless, insipid food in the second:  ерыскъы мышыу. Also, it develops a metaphorical meaning: ‘empty’, ‘senseless’, vapid’ when it defines words, behavior, actions, e.g. псалъэ мышыу (idle talk, mere words).

Conclusion

The analysis of semantic derivation of taste adjectives in the Kabardino-Circassian language allows to conclude that taste being a peripheral perceptual channel does not develop a wide range of derived meanings. The derived meanings of those ones which develop, are found to remain either within the domain of taste, or move, predominantly to the sphere of a man, his moral qualities, behavior and activity. The taste adjectives of the studied language revealed specific denotative standards, and trajectories of metaphoric transferences. The obtained results confirm the cultural impact on cognition, on the processes of conceptualization and categorization of the world.