Ethnographic Lexicon of Material Culture in the Sakha Language

Abstract

This article is dedicated to the study of the ethnographic lexicon in the Sakha (Yakut) language that reflects the material culture of the Sakha people. The relevance of this research lies in the fact that, despite the existence of general works on ethnography and lexicology, this lexical layer remains insufficiently explored from a systematic and comparative-historical perspective. The aim of the study is to identify the semantic structure, cultural-historical roots, and functional characteristics of ethnographic terms that name artifacts of traditional Sakha life, as well as to establish their connections with the lexical systems of other Turkic languages, especially Kazakh, and neighboring languages.

To achieve this aim, the following objectives were set: the collection and classification of ethnographic lexicon across main thematic groups of material culture (traditional housing, clothing, household items, utensils); semantic analysis of lexical units, including definitions, etymology, original elements, and possible borrowings. Particular attention was given to comparative analysis between Sakha ethnographic terms and their equivalents in Kazakh and other languages, which allowed for tracing cultural and linguistic interaction as well as identifying both common and unique features.

The source base for the study included Yakut–Russian, Russian–Yakut, and explanatory dictionaries of the Sakha language (particularly those edited by P.A. Sleptsov and E.K. Pekarsky), as well as classical ethnographic works in Yakut studies (V.L. Seroshevsky, S.I. Bolo, among others). The research employed descriptive, semantic, and comparative methods.

The results of the study revealed the richness and diversity of ethnographic terminology in the Sakha language related to material culture. Specific lexemes denoting types of dwellings (ыал, кыстык, сайылык, ураһа, балаҕан), clothing (таҥас-сап, таҥас, сон), and household items and utensils (хобордоох, чааскы, айах, быһах, etc.) were analyzed. Semantic parallels and etymological connections between Sakha ethnographic terms and lexicon in Kazakh and other Turkic languages were identified (e.g., Sakha сон and Turkic тон meaning 'fur coat'). The findings contribute to the study of the Sakha linguistic worldview, deepen the understanding of their cultural heritage, and serve as a basis for further research in ethnolinguistics, Turkology, and comparative linguistics.