Kalmyk Official Letters of the 18th Century: Social Position-Related Naming Units and Their Equivalents in Russian Translations

Introduction. Linguists consider the ability to reflect historical events of society to be a specific feature of socio-political vocabulary. Socio-political vocabulary is basically studied in synchronous perspectives, through the use of dictionaries and journalistic texts. Insights into the functi...

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Main Author: Galina M. Yarmarkina
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Российской академии наук, Калмыцкий научный центр 2019-12-01
Series:Монголоведение
Subjects:
Online Access:https://mongoloved.kigiran.com/jour/article/view/139/107
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author Galina M. Yarmarkina
author_facet Galina M. Yarmarkina
author_sort Galina M. Yarmarkina
collection DOAJ
description Introduction. Linguists consider the ability to reflect historical events of society to be a specific feature of socio-political vocabulary. Socio-political vocabulary is basically studied in synchronous perspectives, through the use of dictionaries and journalistic texts. Insights into the functioning of socio-political vocabulary in different languages (including Kalmyk) are historically promising: analysis of socio-political vocabulary in diachrony helps identify stages of formation and transformation of the lexical cluster within a particular language depending on changes in a particular society. Social position-related naming units align with the group of socio-political vocabulary referred to as ‘vocabulary denoting social classes’ but are not identical to the latter, since the social position implies not only social status as such but also respective social roles. G oals. The article seeks to analyze functioning patterns of the mentioned lexical cluster in 18th-century Kalmyk official letters and in Russian translations of the same period. M aterials. The work examines 28 letters of the Kalmyk Khan Ayuki and their Russian translations housed by the National Archives of Kalmykia. All the texts date to the year 1714. The investigated Kalmyk written sources contain a total of five social position-related naming units, such as 1) xa:n (transliteration) / хан (modern Kalmyk spelling); 2)yeke caya:n xa:n / ик qahaH ха н ; 3) kinas / кинас; 4) bayar / баяр; 5) elci/ элч. In Russian 18tll-century translations, the indicated lexemes correspond to seven units of the same cluster, namely: 1) хан (‘khan’); 2) В еликий Государь (‘Great Sovereign’); 3) князь (‘prince’); 4) боярин (‘boyar’); 5) комендант (‘commandant’); 6) губернат ор (‘governor’); 7) посы льщ ик / посы льны й (‘messenger’). Conclusions. The analysis of functioning patterns of the lexemes traced in the letters of Khan Ayuki and their Russian translations reveals certain ethno-linguistic trends in the use of the vocabulary by the addressant and Russian translators. Social position-related naming units used in the Kalmyk and Russian texts illustrate the 18th-century official correspondence practices, and can reflect the actual course and circumstances of socio-political relations between Peter the Great’s Russia and the Kalmyk Khanate
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spelling doaj.art-ad3295f1a9b74cce8f6cd79b4e1c6f7d2022-12-21T21:30:08ZengРоссийской академии наук, Калмыцкий научный центрМонголоведение2500-15232019-12-0111362963910.22162/2500-1523-2019-3-629-639Kalmyk Official Letters of the 18th Century: Social Position-Related Naming Units and Their Equivalents in Russian TranslationsGalina M. Yarmarkina0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3701-9157Kalmyk Scientific Center of the RASIntroduction. Linguists consider the ability to reflect historical events of society to be a specific feature of socio-political vocabulary. Socio-political vocabulary is basically studied in synchronous perspectives, through the use of dictionaries and journalistic texts. Insights into the functioning of socio-political vocabulary in different languages (including Kalmyk) are historically promising: analysis of socio-political vocabulary in diachrony helps identify stages of formation and transformation of the lexical cluster within a particular language depending on changes in a particular society. Social position-related naming units align with the group of socio-political vocabulary referred to as ‘vocabulary denoting social classes’ but are not identical to the latter, since the social position implies not only social status as such but also respective social roles. G oals. The article seeks to analyze functioning patterns of the mentioned lexical cluster in 18th-century Kalmyk official letters and in Russian translations of the same period. M aterials. The work examines 28 letters of the Kalmyk Khan Ayuki and their Russian translations housed by the National Archives of Kalmykia. All the texts date to the year 1714. The investigated Kalmyk written sources contain a total of five social position-related naming units, such as 1) xa:n (transliteration) / хан (modern Kalmyk spelling); 2)yeke caya:n xa:n / ик qahaH ха н ; 3) kinas / кинас; 4) bayar / баяр; 5) elci/ элч. In Russian 18tll-century translations, the indicated lexemes correspond to seven units of the same cluster, namely: 1) хан (‘khan’); 2) В еликий Государь (‘Great Sovereign’); 3) князь (‘prince’); 4) боярин (‘boyar’); 5) комендант (‘commandant’); 6) губернат ор (‘governor’); 7) посы льщ ик / посы льны й (‘messenger’). Conclusions. The analysis of functioning patterns of the lexemes traced in the letters of Khan Ayuki and their Russian translations reveals certain ethno-linguistic trends in the use of the vocabulary by the addressant and Russian translators. Social position-related naming units used in the Kalmyk and Russian texts illustrate the 18th-century official correspondence practices, and can reflect the actual course and circumstances of socio-political relations between Peter the Great’s Russia and the Kalmyk Khanatehttps://mongoloved.kigiran.com/jour/article/view/139/107social position-related naming unitssocio-political vocabulary18th-century kalmyk official lettersequivalentrussian translation
spellingShingle Galina M. Yarmarkina
Kalmyk Official Letters of the 18th Century: Social Position-Related Naming Units and Their Equivalents in Russian Translations
Монголоведение
social position-related naming units
socio-political vocabulary
18th-century kalmyk official letters
equivalent
russian translation
title Kalmyk Official Letters of the 18th Century: Social Position-Related Naming Units and Their Equivalents in Russian Translations
title_full Kalmyk Official Letters of the 18th Century: Social Position-Related Naming Units and Their Equivalents in Russian Translations
title_fullStr Kalmyk Official Letters of the 18th Century: Social Position-Related Naming Units and Their Equivalents in Russian Translations
title_full_unstemmed Kalmyk Official Letters of the 18th Century: Social Position-Related Naming Units and Their Equivalents in Russian Translations
title_short Kalmyk Official Letters of the 18th Century: Social Position-Related Naming Units and Their Equivalents in Russian Translations
title_sort kalmyk official letters of the 18th century social position related naming units and their equivalents in russian translations
topic social position-related naming units
socio-political vocabulary
18th-century kalmyk official letters
equivalent
russian translation
url https://mongoloved.kigiran.com/jour/article/view/139/107
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