Zoonyms Denoting the Squirrel Family in the Altai Language

The purpose of this article is to identify ethnocultural semantics of zoonyms denoting species of the squirrel family in the Altai language. In the analysis of lexical units, a comparative method was used, as well as methods of semantic, component and contextual analyses. The material for the analysis of zoonyms was extracted from dictionaries, folklore, literary texts, as well as from the Altai native speakers’ discourse. The novelty of the study lies in the consideration of the semantic and motivational features of zoolexemes denoting the squirrel family species as well as in identifying principles of their nomination. Metaphors and metonyms associated with squirrels appeared in the hunting lexicon on the basis of certain denotative signs of their look and behaviour stereotypes, habitat, as well as on the basis of metaphorization and connotation. One of the ways of representing zoonyms is figurative characterization of animals by the sounds they make. Euphemisms, onomatopoeic verbs and interjections are used to nominate the animals. Another way to nominate animals is their color designation, which has metaphorical figurativeness and emotional evaluation. Metaphorical identification of the squirrel family animals with other animals gives vivid imagery to these euphemisms. In view of anthropocentric nature of language, squirrel zoonyms functioning, shows a clear zoomorphization of a person on the one hand, and anthropomorphization and mythologization of animals, on the other. When anthropomorphizing the image of an animal, transference occurs on the basis of semantic features – moral, ethical, emotional, mental, social: “greedy” (about a chipmunk), “touchy” and “cunning” (about a gopher). Social metaphors are based on the identification of a squirrel with a “collector of tribute”, a marmot with a “master” of the steppe, who has “servants”. In zoomorphization, transference of animal traits to humans is based on an assessment of their moral, ethical, physical, and intellectual qualities. Metaphorically, a squirrel and a ground squirrel both mean a fast, nimble, hardworking person, a marmot describes someone lazy. The image of a gopher is likened to a cunning, stupid, thieving person, capturing someone else’s; the image of a chipmunk is that of a greedy, naive, and gullible person; a sage, a respected elder, is identified with the beaver. To conclude, animal names denoting species of the squirrel family are widely represented in the Altai language, as a variety of texts shows. They make up a special lexico-semantic field and are a significant fragment of the Altai world view with a large number of associations and evaluative connotations they acquired in the process of their functioning.