| Abstract [eng] |
Every language has colour terms, but different amount of them depending on extra linguistic features. Linguist B. Berlin and P. Kay analysed dozens of languages and determined that there were only two colour terms (dark and bright) in the first stage of language evolution. Bright is represented by white and dark is represented by black. Many metaphoric meanings are based on prototypical meanings of concepts of whiteness (white – of colour of snow, very bright) and blackness (black – very dark, like coal). The goal of this master thesis is to determine common and different metaphorical meanings of whiteness and blackness characteristic for Lithuanian and English languages. The research material is collected from corpuses of Lithuanian and English languages. The data of the analysis of both concepts showed, blackness and whiteness in most cases are used to identify a feature of colour, i.e. prototypical colour meaning. But it also revealed a number of cases when the colour term does not denote a colour feature, but it is used metaphorically, with objects lacking the colour feature. The analysis has also revealed the importance of the symbolic meaning in the research of the colour concepts. The concept of Blackness in both languages is perceived similarly. Prototypical meanings are the following: dark, lacking light, impenetrable, soiled; used to characterize dark skin pigmentation; certain object in black colour (blackcurrant, black bread and etc.); (coffee or tea) without milk. Metaphorical meanings: without any moral quality; plain food (characteristic only to Lithuanian); evil: negative emotions, harmful, tragic events and places; difficult, casual (negative features characteristic to Lithuanian, positive – to English); illegal. The concept of blackness also includes symbolic meanings characteristic for both languages: symbol of misfortune, evil, mourning. The concept of whiteness is also perceived similarly. Prototypical meanings of the whiteness are: light, translucent, clean, empty, used to characterize the pale skin pigmentation, certain objects in white colour (white bread, white bear). Metaphorical meanings: white (hair) – age and wisdom; translucent; emotions; positive, good, moral; empty, without any emotions (characteristic only to Lithuanian); mystic creatures. The concept of whiteness also includes symbolic meanings characteristic for both languages: truce and peace; cowardice (characteristic only to English). The concepts of blackness and whiteness are greatly connected (share same prototypical meanings: feature of distinctiveness, feature of lacking colours; and metaphorical meanings: feature of lacking health; symbolic meanings: death, magic; but also form distinct oppositions such as: black and white, ripe and unripe (only Lithuanian), dark and bright, pure and dirty, good and bad, God and Evil and etc. |
