White in the Upper Sorbian language (against the Czech-Polish comparative background)

<ns3:p>White has quite diverse symbolism in European culture, which is also confirmed by the connections containing the name of the colour white, referring to nature and human life. The subject of this article is the analysis of the figurative and non-transferable meanings and connotations of the name běła ‘white’ in the Upper Sorbian language. The description is accompanied by a comparison with the Czech and Polish languages. This allowed us to highlight both similarities in the conceptualization of this colour, as well as references typical only of Upper Sorbian. There is a great agreement in the semantic connotations of the colour white in the analyzed languages. The differences concern primarily the richness of expressions carrying the appropriate connotations. Moreover, in Upper Sorbian, as a minority language,one can notice the influence of the German language (calques of German expressions and structures), with which Upper Sorbian remains in close contact.</ns3:p>