SYMBOLISM OF COLORONYMS “WHITE” AND “BLACK” IN THE TOPONYMS OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

SYMBOLISM OF COLORONYMS “WHITE” AND “BLACK” IN THE TOPONYMS OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

Author:  A.V. Urazmetova

Affiliation:  Bashkir State University

Abstract:  The subject matter of the investigation presented in this article is the probe of the toponyms with the element “white” and “black” in the English language. The article explores the symbols of the col-oronyms in question, identifies the models of their transition to toponymic vocabulary, studies the mo-tivational basis of toponyms, conducts the quantitative analysis of the US toponyms with the color markings “white” and “black”.
The material of the research is the place names of the USA (approximately 15 000 units), taken from various toponymic dictionaries and information systems. The processes under consideration are observed both among primary and among secondary place-name nominations (i.e. toponymic nick-names).
The aim of this work is to identify the main meanings of the colorants “white” and “black”, fixed in the toponyms of the English language.
The results of the investigation show that “white” and “black” are highly productive elements of the English toponyms. They represent not only characteristic, but also evaluative features. The meaning of the coloronym determines the motivational specificity of the toponymic unit, and the existence of the evaluative component in some colorants gives the emotional-evaluating connotation to the toponymic unit itself.

Keywords:  toponym, geographical name, coloronym, color designation, color term, white, black.

References:  Boldyrev N.N., CHistyakova E.V. Oce-nochnyj potencial landshaftnoj leksiki sovremennogo anglijskogo yazyka // Vestnik Tambovskogo universiteta. 2012. № 7. S. 22-27.
Boldyrev N.N. Interpretacionnyj potencial konceptual'noj metafory // Kognitivnye issledovaniya yazyka. 2013. Vyp. XV. S. 12-21.
Grigor'eva T.V., Hamidova A.R. Ocenoch-no-sim-volicheskij potencial cvetooboznachenij (na primere oppozicii belyj-chernyj v russkom yazyke) // Fi-lologicheskie nauki. Voprosy teorii i praktiki. Tambov: Gramota, 2014. № 1. CH. II. C. 70-72.
Lokk Dzh. Opyt o chelovecheskom razume-nii. Izbrannye filosofskie proizvedeniya: v 2 t. M., 1986. T. 1.
Talapina M.B. Sopostavitel'noe issledovanie russkih i anglijskih prilagatel'nyh «belyj/chernyj» i «white/black» v kognitivno-diskursivnom aspekte: avtoref. dis. ... kand. filol. nauk. Ekaterinburg, 2008.
Urazmetova A.V. Toponimicheskaya sis-tema SSHA: pervichnaya i vtorichnaya nominaciya: monografiya. M.: FLINTA: Nauka, 2017.
Hves'ko T.V., Basueva N.YU. Verbal'noe vozdejstvie kak stimul k poznaniyu // Kogni-tivnye issledovaniya yazyka. 2015. Vyp. XXI. S. 607-611.
Cvetkova E.V. Belyj cvet v kostromskoj toponimii // Vestnik KGU im. N.A. Nekrasova. 2012. № 1. S. 264-267.
SHCHerbak A.S. Onomasticheskie kategorii: sootnoshenie yazykovyh i kognitivnyh struktur // Voprosy kognitivnoj lingvistiki. 2012. № 4.
S. 78-83.
Berlin V. Basic Color Terms: their univer-sality and evolution / V. Berlin, P. Kay. Berkeley; Los Angeles, 1969.
GNIS – Geographic Names Information System. URL: http://geonames.usgs.gov/apex/f?p=136:1: 12972120087300
LDCE – Longman dictionary of contempo-rary English. New ed. Longman, 2003.

For citation:  : Urazmetova, A. V. (2019). Symbolism of coloronyms “white” and “black” in the toponyms of the English language // Voprosy Kognitivnoy Lingvistiki, 2, 123-127. (In Russ.).

Pages:  123-127