The ways of interpreting figurative color terms motivated by food names in the Dictionary of Russian Culinary Metaphors

The article is devoted to the lexicographic description of color terms motivated by food names. The analysis of semantics and functioning of figurative color terms is carried out. The authors develop the ways of unification of interpretation of figurative color terms with different structures. Relevance of the research is due to the active development of metaphorical trends in modern Russian Studies, high productivity of metaphorical model "Something - it is food", frequency of the discursive use of culinary metaphors including color terms, rapid development of cultural linguistics lexicography. The object of the research are 52 color terms expressing different shades similar to the color of the products used as food. Complexity of color terms description is connected with the mental aspect of color: the need to distinguish a significant number of colors and shades with a high degree of perceived subjectivity. Nomination of complex colors is carried out by analogy with various objects in the extral-inguistic reality that have characteristic colors and are included in the range of everyday human life; they serve as a model to determine the tone. A significant place among the standard bearers of the color feature belongs to edible plants and other edible products: cherry - the standard of dark red with a hint of brown, chocolate - the standard of warm brown with the addition of yellow, etc. The representation of figurative color terms in the dictionary required to develop a uniform method of interpretation of this group of linguistic units. The wording of the lexical meaning of a figurative color term includes reference to the dominant shade of the main color spectrum, such as red, yellow, green, etc. Then additional distinctive features: color shades, the degree of brightness, lightness, transparency, gloss are described. The degree of brightness is expressed in interpretations as follows: bright shades are indicated by the words bright, rich, intense, dense, juicy and opposing shades - pale, dim, blurred. The degree of lightness is expressed by the inclusion of adjectives dark, light in the interpretation. Purity and transparency in the shade are expressed in the interpretation by words muddy, dirty, clean, clear. The gloss level is expressed by lexical components shiny, glossy, matt. Further a comparative expression with the conjunction similar is introduced in interpretation, it indicates the reference to the color trait. For example, glossy, bright orange, like the orange peel color (about a wide range of subjects). In brackets the authors demonstrate the reference sphere of color feature relatedness (about human skin), (about clothing and home furnishings), etc. The final part of the article demonstrates a fragment of the Dictionary of Russian Culinary Metaphors, numbering 52 figurative color terms.

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