Features of derived units formed from the stem of adjective khara “black” in the Khakas language

The paper analyzes the derivatives formed from the stem of adjective khara “black” in the structural-semantic aspect. The relatedness of word khara “black” to color words leads to the formation of adjectives with the meaning of incompleteness and intensity of a color characteristic, diminutive adjective, compound adjectives with meanings of intensity, which are used to convey shades of colors, compound nouns, and a verb with the meaning of a color’s development degree. Analytical derivatives are represented by adjectives and nouns. Compound adjectives express the intensity of a color trait and are used to denote mixed shades. Compound nouns with the first component khara name mainly specific objects: living and mythical creatures, plants, objects of nature, kinds of products, place (building). Only two words denote a holiday and a period of time. Names of plants and animals can serve as a stem for the formation of verbs with meanings “to collect the designated plant,” “to hunt the designated.” The symbolism of colors in the people’s culture and worldview has influenced on the formation of figurative meanings of words naming colors and, as a consequence, on the formation of derivative words on the basis of such meanings. Black color was associated with the dark side, the North, night, lower (underground) world. Derivatives kharan “a spirit, dark power,” khara uzut “a dead’s evil soul” appeared due to this symbolism. Thus, Khakas derivatives, formed with the participation of component khara , reflect ancient ideas about the symbolism of black color.

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