To the creation of the "Dictionary of Phytonyms of the Avar Language": selection principles, structure, and cultural-linguistic significance

The author thoroughly examines the concept, principles of compilation, and scientific value of the "Dictionary of Phytoonyms of the Avar Language." This is due to the necessity for systematic fixation and in-depth study of an important layer of specialized vocabulary, which directly reflects the traditional economic structure, cognitive experience, and holistic worldview of the Avar people. The presented work defines and analyzes the main sources for the formation of the dictionary, including new field materials, recordings of living spoken language, and existing lexicographic works. Furthermore, the article details key structural-motivational models characteristic of Avar phytoonyms, such as compounding and suffixation, and proposes a clear thematic classification of them. The potential of the dictionary lies in its multifaceted application: in modern lexicographic practice, in the educational process when studying lexicology and linguocultural studies, as well as serving as a fundamental basis for comparative and historical studies of the languages of the Dagestan family. The methods used in this work include: techniques of semantic-analytical representation of vocabulary, methods of comparative analysis, and anthropologically oriented descriptions of words and their classifications; techniques of selection of vocabulary and introspection as a way to determine the ontological nature of the phenomena denoted; the comparative method is utilized to identify similarities and differences between specific thematic groups. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the following: this is the first specialized work, the first attempt to create a separate lexicographic work entirely devoted to the systematic organization and comprehensive description of the phytonymic vocabulary of the Avar language, which will fill a significant gap in its terminological documentation; it reflects not only the meanings but also motivational signs of nomination ("appearance," "property," "place of growth" – literal translation), revealing the connection between language and cognitive and cultural models of the ethnic group; the complex of sources and dialectal coverage – the dictionary is formed on the basis of a triad of sources: data from existing dictionaries, new field materials, and recordings of living spoken language; it serves as a foundation for interdisciplinary research not only for linguistics (comparative linguistics, semasiology) but also for ethnobotany, cultural anthropology, and folkloristics, demonstrating the integrative scientific potential of the publication.