Folk terminology of mythologized characters of the group “craftsmen-professionals” in the dialects of the Bashkir language

This paper describes the folk terminology of a group of “knowledgeable people” called “craftsmen-professionals.” The main, widespread, and dialect terms referring to the mythologized characters “craftsmen-professionals” are identified using dictionaries, folklore and art works, and the field materials of the author. In the Bashkir language, the generalizing term for “craftsmen-professionals” is the word оҫта (craftsman). In addition, the words һөнәрсе / һөнәрмән (artisan, master), кәсепсе (a person engaged in some kind of craft) are used. Much attention is paid to the characteristics of the terms related to specific characters of the group “craftsmen-professionals” and their names. It has been established that such specialists as кендек инәһе, кендекәй, кендек-ҡарсыҡ, абызәней (a midwife); бабаҡарт, сөннәтсе, бабасы (a baba, a specialist in circumcision of boys); тимерсе (a blacksmith); һунарсы, аусы, аңсы, жәннекше, балыҡсы (a hunter); көтөүсе, йылҡысы, ҡуйсы (a shepherd); ҡурайсы, думбырасы, ҡобайырсы, һармаҡсы, толғаусы, йырсы (musicians) belong to this group of “knowledgeable people.” The author provides the literary and dialect names of the characters concerned, the verbs, the epithets related to the characters of “craftsmen-professionals,” the parallels with other Turkic and non-Turkic languages, folklore and mythologies. The description of terms is complemented by ethnographic data. The analysis of the vocabulary has shown that the terminology associated with the оҫталар group (masters, craftsmen) is mostly of common Turkic origin, with a significant layer of terms of a common Kypchak origin and later terminology having a borrowed character.

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