Conceptual analysis of the lexeme "cloud" in Russian and Chinese linguocultures

Van I Postgraduate student, Department of Russian Language and its Teaching Methodology, Peoples' Friendship University of Russia 117198, Russia, Moscow region, Moscow, Miklukho-Maklaya str., 10 yi.wang@bk.ru Other publications by this author

Introduction

In the study of linguoculturology, the study of the concept cannot be ignored, since it can reveal the psychological thinking, worldview, and worldview of speakers of different languages. A comparative study of the concept in the aspect of Russian and Chinese linguistic cultures can reveal not only the similarities and differences of the two languages, but also deeper cultural connotations of the two countries. Being a universal natural phenomenon, the "cloud" is a significant concept in Chinese and Russian cultures, and rich cultural codes are hidden behind them. The relevance of the research topic is devoted to identifying the features of the concept of "cloud" in the Russian and Chinese worldviews using conceptual analysis, which helps to understand and study historical and cultural traditions, way of thinking and linguistic characteristics of the peoples of Russia and China.

Russian Russian and Chinese languages need to analyze the lexical definitions of the concept "cloud"; to identify symbolic meanings and cultural content contained in phraseological units, paremias and verses of the two languages; to generalize the similarities and differences of the lexeme "cloud" in Russian and Chinese linguocultures.

The following research methods are used to implement the tasks: the method of conceptual linguistic and cultural analysis, comparative analysis and continuous sampling.

The theoretical basis of the research was the scientific works of scientists devoted to the theory of linguoculturology (Stepanov. Yu. S., 2004; Maslova. Va., 2005); the study of the methodology of conceptual analysis (Babenko. L. G., 2000; Paleeva. EV., 2010); the analysis of the "cloud" in the symbolary of Russian culture (Abramova. VI., 2020; Arkhangelsk. Yu. V., 2020); as well as works on metaphors and symbolic meanings of "cloud" in Chinese culture (, 2002;, 2015;, 2015;, 2015;, 2022).

The practical significance of the study lies in the fact that during this conceptual analysis, it is possible to determine the symbolic meanings and features of the concept of "cloud" in Russian and Chinese linguistic cultures, which makes it possible to understand the national specifics of the culture of the two countries, and has a positive impact on intercultural communication.

The main part

With the advent of the anthropocentric paradigm and the rapid development of linguoculturology, conceptual analysis has become an urgent issue in linguistic research. The modern study of conceptual analysis is characterized by its diversity, the main object of analysis is the concept of abstract nouns. The progressive development of this analysis helps to identify the relationship between language and national culture.

In the late 1980s, with the development of cognitive linguistics in the West, concepts gradually entered the field of linguists' research. Many Russian scientists, such as A. Vezhbitskaya, Yu.S. Stepanov, D.S. Likhachev, N.D. Arutyunova, etc. they showed great interest in conceptual research. They interpreted the semantic meaning of the concept from different points of view. Due to the large volume of research, it became obvious that the study of the concept in linguistics is conducted mainly in such areas as cognitive linguistics and linguoculturology. Yu. S. Stepanov, D. S. Likhachev, V.A. Maslova, V.V. Krasnykh, etc. they have made a great contribution to the development of research on the concept. They considered the concept as a "cultural unit" with a national character and a rich cultural imprint. Stepanov. Yu. S writes that "A concept is like a clot of culture in a person's mind; that in the form of which culture enters the mental world of a person" ^{[12, p. 43]}. According to Maslova V. A., the concept is not any concept, but only the most important one on which the national culture is built. This is a mental national education, the plan of content content of which is presented as a set of knowledge about a specific object, and the plan of expression is a set of linguistic means ^{[8, 9]}. The cultural specificity of the language is reflected at the lexical level in the description of concepts, borrowings and non-equivalent words. This field of linguistics is based on the principles of cognitive science and focuses on the relationship between linguistic and cultural contexts.

Conceptual analysis occupies a key place in the study of concepts. Its purpose can be represented as "identifying the paradigm of culturally significant concepts and describing their conceptual sphere" ^{[3, p. 80]}. A review of the works of various researchers shows that conceptual analysis is not a certain method of studying concepts. It would be more appropriate to note that the works under consideration are united by some relatively common goals, and they are different in terms of ways to achieve the goal ^{[10, p. 61]}.

According to the generally accepted opinion, the study of individual concepts or conceptual areas is carried out by analyzing the objectified results of cognitive activity. The methodology of conceptual analysis depends on the understanding and ability to structure. In this regard, conceptual analysis is a concrete approach to explication of concepts ^{[10, p. 62]}.

The concept of "cloud" as one of the oldest cosmic symbols is an important part for the religion and culture of many countries, especially for Russia and China. We will conduct a conceptual analysis of the "cloud" in the aspects of dictionary interpretation, metaphorical meanings in phraseological units, proverbs, parodies and poems against the background of Russian and Chinese linguocultures.

The study of lexicographic definition plays an important role in the study of linguistic material, since it is the interpretation of dictionaries that helps to form an initial understanding of reality and the linguistic means of its expression ^{[10, p. 62]}.

In the Etymological Dictionary of the Russian language, the concept of "cloud" is interpreted as: borrowing from Church Slavonic ^{[14, p. 102]}. By the origin of the word "cloud" in the Russian language, it is obvious that it is closely related to the deity and religion. According to the Dictionary of the Russian language , the cloud has the following meanings: 1. Accumulation of small water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere. Layered clouds. 2. A club of small volatile particles of something. Two clouds of blue smoke rose above the two guns and stretched along the beam. L. Tolstoy, Hadji Murad. 3. The reflection of some inner state (sadness, thoughtfulness, etc.) on the face, in the eyes of a person. A cloud of thoughtfulness passed over his face. Pushkin, A Story from Roman Life ^{[11, p. 537]}.

In Chinese, the word "cloud" was first found in the oracle bone script, being a pictographic hieroglyph, its ancient form resembles cloudy air and clouds. In the first etymological dictionary of the Chinese language, "Shuo wen jie ji" gives this interpretation: a cloud (cloud), an ancient pictogram depicting a cloud. After adding the key of the hieroglyph ? (rain) to the top, the hieroglyph ? (cloud) becomes an ideogram. Its initial value is the visible mass of a drop of water and ice crystals suspended in the air. The cloud is also the qi (?) of mountains and rivers ^{[21, p. 643]}. The ancient Chinese believed that the cloud consists of qi (?) exhaled by mountains and rivers. The origin of the hieroglyph Y (cloud) explains that since ancient times in the Chinese language, the cloud has acquired an unreal and fantastic meaning. In the modern dictionary of the Chinese language, a cloud is interpreted as 1. an object formed by an accumulation of water droplets and ice crystals suspended in the air. 2. a service word to emphasize the attention of at the end of the year 3. to speak, to say. To repeat what others say; to speak from someone else's words. 4. Yunnan province in China ^{[22, p. 1621]}.

According to the interpretation of the lexeme "cloud" in the examples above, it is shown that there are similar meanings in Russian and Chinese.

In Russian, the concept of "cloud" basically expresses the following symbolic meanings:

1) amorphousness, uncertainty, variability

Clouds freely swirl in the sky, constantly changing their shape and direction of flight, chaotically and unpredictably. According to Russians, clouds symbolize amorphousness, ambiguity and variability. In the collection "Proverbs of the Russian people" by V. I. Dahl in the section "True – known" there is such a parody that you can't catch a cloud (clouds) by moving ^{[7, p. 848]}. In the Russian language, to speak like a cloud to catch implies someone who speaks while hiding his thoughts. Clouds overhead, fogs underfoot ^[6]. In this paremia, clouds and mists are a symbol of an elusive and unformed essence, which are associated with the uncertainty of the position of a person who finds himself in a situation where both above and below him is something shaky, amorphous, incomprehensible ^{[1, p. 3]}.

2) unrealistic fantasies, platonic dreams

In Russian, clouds also symbolize unattainable heights and unrealistic ideas. It's very high up to the clouds; you can't jump from the clouds under the cloud, you can't go into the water. It says here that you can only take on a feasible task. In these expressions, clouds symbolize extreme heights and the highest achievement. To be carried away into the clouds and soar in the clouds – “to indulge in impossible dreams, not noticing the surroundings” [4. p. 704]. For example: cooks work in a dark and cramped kitchen in clouds of smoke. – A.P. Chekhov. The phraseology itself is actively used in modern speech: "We need to work calmly. No need to be in the clouds. You can't create anything out of nothing" ^{[1, p. 4]}. To fall / burst /descend from the clouds is fixed in the value of unexpectedly appear. For example: well, you threw a trick! I haven't written two words for three years! And suddenly burst from the clouds. – Griboyedov

3) the boundary between the worlds: upper and lower, divine and diabolical, holy and sinful, high and low ^{[1, p. 3]}. In the collection of V. I. Dahl "Proverbs of the Russian people" in the section "Happiness – luck", such a proverb was found "The devil walked behind the clouds and broke off" ^[6], which describes the biblical legends about the expulsion of Satan from heaven, who was formerly an angel. In a figurative sense, the meaning of the proverb can be formulated as “achieving success in any business dishonestly, you will not get anything.” In both cases, the cloud component symbolically indicates the limit of what is allowed ^{[1, p. 3]}.

4) divine revelation and the presence of God

In the dictionary of V.I. Dahl to the lexeme "cloud", as an example, the proverb Clouds walk, human affairs are spied on ^[6], in which the component we are interested in receives a symbolic reading: God, Jesus Christ, Angel – that is, the Divine essence ^{[1, p. 2]}. In ancient agricultural civilizations, people predicted the weather by the color and shape of clouds. Clouds often foreshadowed the arrival of rain, which soaked everything around and contributed to the growth of the harvest, and, accordingly, symbolized abundance and wealth. In Christianity, clouds are invisible gods covering the sky. In early Christianity, clouds also represented the prophets. The Russian Orthodox people also gave the clouds a mystical religious dimension, believing that they symbolize divine revelation and the presence of God ^{[2, 13]}.

During the linguistic and cultural analysis, it was revealed that the concept of "cloud" as an important fragment of reality, which is reflected in the Russian language picture of the world, consists in various cultural codes: meteorological, natural, theomorphic, anthropomorphic spiritual, spatial ^{[1, p. 4]}.

For thousands of years, the Chinese have observed and predicted the weather, watching the clouds based on their shape, direction, speed, thickness, color and other changes, composed sayings, paremias, phraseological units and poems that are passed down from generation to generation. The representation of natural images in classical Chinese poems, such as birds, animals, grass and trees, as well as the sun and moon, is a unique cultural phenomenon that reflects the psychology and interests of the Chinese people, and is deeply rooted in the psycholinguistic complex of traditional Chinese culture ^{[15, p. 106]}.

When studying the concept of "cloud" in the Chinese language, it is necessary to analyze it in ancient verses and phraseological units. Poems are a form with meaning. The form is often expressed in the form of an object image, and the meaning is the vast world of the poet's consciousness, where the object image of artistic intuition often hides a complex and subtle "mental image" ^{[24, p. 24]}. Being a common natural phenomenon, clouds often appear in ancient Chinese poems as a colorful image, and their image is a pure form of verse, rich in historical connotations and aesthetic implications for the people of China.

Images of clouds occupied an important place in the development of ancient Chinese culture and were of great value in the process of its formation. For the first time, images of clouds appeared in the ancient book of poems "Shi Jing", which is one of the oldest monuments of Chinese literature ^{[20, p. 1]}. Images of clouds reflect the early understanding of ancient peoples who projected their own ideas and feelings on natural "clouds".

In ancient China, the "cloud", as a natural phenomenon observed visually, is often used as an object of description by poets who express their emotions and feelings by depicting changes in the shape and color of clouds. For example, these phrases are often found in classical ancient Chinese poems: floating clouds and lying clouds, which are associated with the shape and texture of the cloud; white clouds, green clouds, azure clouds, and dark clouds, which are associated with their color.

Let's pay attention to these expressions with the "cloud" component:

1) floating clouds denotes something that floats. Originally a common occurrence in nature, floating clouds were used in classical Chinese poems as a metaphor for the ugly political phenomenon of slandering believers. The sun is covered with floating clouds. (The whole society is shrouded in darkness) – Li Bai ^{[18, p. 63]}. The poet compared all the treacherous people at the imperial court with "floating clouds", expressing indignation at the treacherous people, the desire to realize his ambitions and sadness that he has no opportunity to serve his country.

In addition to the fact that floating clouds block out the sun, the most obvious impression of them is softness, buoyancy and unpredictability. Therefore, it is used as a metaphor to refer to something floating or insignificant. Clouds float in the air, rising and falling with the wind, their shapes change, always being in a state of flux and instability. In the opinion of poets, it looks like the fate of a wanderer wandering without support, and therefore clouds are endowed with the image of a "wandering wanderer". The sound of a stringed musical instrument is like floating clouds and down from a willow tree, flying in the endless sky. – Han Yu , – Floating clouds walk all day, and the wanderer never comes. – Du Fu ^{[17, p. 104]}.

2) The white clouds and the lying clouds are used by hermits to express their desire to go into seclusion and abandon their official career. White clouds are associated with hermits who live far from the world and are free and unrestrained ^{[17, p. 105]}. To live in peace. – Bai Juyi,,–-- About officials who have retired from service. – Tao Hongjing ^[19].

3)The green clouds often appear in Chinese ancient poems, imply a high-ranking official or a high aspiration. ,, – ^[19]. Strive to make a brilliant career. – Wang Bo. In modern Chinese, phraseological units with the word "green clouds" retain a symbolic meaning – a brilliant career. to quickly grow in position; to make a dizzying career ^[16];

4) the azure clouds denote a remote place, used to express the feeling of separation. When I miss you, I look at the azure clouds. – Wei Yinwu ^[19];

5) dark clouds refers to the dark hair of a woman. , – . She was so sick that she dragged herself with long black hair. – Su Shi ^[19].

In relation to the cultural connotations of the Chinese ancient elements, the word "cloud" is closely associated with a distant place, an official career, a life aspiration and a changing state. Familiarity with classical poems shows that unpredictable clouds are also filled with emotional content in the works of poets. The cloud is an insensitive thing, but in the verses it reflects a variety of sensations, which contain not only the romance of traditional Chinese poets, but also the gravity of social reality.

Phraseology, as a fixed linguistic unit, is the crystallization of the wisdom of the people and the essence of their language, it was created, developed and passed down from generation to generation along with the history of the people, in which rich and diverse national characteristics are preserved and embodied. Phraseological units are the most accessible and concise language material for studying the culture of other countries.

The concept of "cloud" is often used in phraseological units of the modern Chinese language. In these examples, the cloud combined with the wind: about fast radical changes; nevidenoe changing situations; have immense power, power; favorable circumstances; to disappear; fast and wide development ^[16]. It is not difficult to notice that in these phraseological units, by describing the rapid change of weather, the concept of "cloud" with wind emphasizes rapid change or development.

In addition, the cloud is still used with other natural elements, for example: to vanish like smoke, to sleep; passing before the eyes of cloud and smoke; mobile, live, free (in the style of literature, painting and singing); transitory, fleeting; sounds reach up to the clouds, to announce the heavens; dawn rising among swirling clouds, colorful (changing) landscape. To be carried away into the sky-high distances, to feel ill. And phraseology with the concept of "cloud" means striving for a career or ideal. Having great goals and torments. unrelated to any circumstances ^[26].

Studying poems, phraseological units in which the concept of "cloud" appears, it is easy to notice that both in ancient and modern China, poets prefer to observe the changing forms of clouds, express their true feelings and ideal aspirations. Consequently, the concept of "cloud" in Chinese poems acquires such symbolic meanings: wandering and loneliness; social upheavals and betrayal; abandonment of an official career and withdrawal into seclusion; striving for a career or ideal; and impermanence and variability. Thus, it becomes clear that the cloud is an important and integral way in the study of deep and multifaceted Russian and Chinese culture.

The word is the most active of the three elements of the language, and any new concept, concept or phenomenon is reflected in this element. Nowadays, the popularity of the Internet and the rapid development of computer technology generate a large number of new words and expressions. There are such words that imply a virtual information store or computing resources in the network Интернет cloud computing, cloud services, cloud drive, cloud backup cloud business, cloud application, cloud storage etc ^{[23, p.37]}. They are closely related to the uncertainty and unreality of the cloud, which symbolizes the invisible, imperceptible network world. This symbolic meaning of the cloud is available in Russian and in Chinese.

Such words with the "cloud" component are gradually becoming popular, their meanings have begun to expand in the field of Internet technologies and have entered the life of the general public, for example, cloud class and cloud conference. These neologisms are mainly the result of the application of cloud computing technology in everyday life, and the "cloud" in the structure can be understood as a metaphor for the "Internet", which usually requires a certain network platform and network technology ^{[25, p. 11]}.

The above study explains that clouds are a frequently used image in literature, imbued with rich emotions and endowed with significant meaning, both in Russian and Chinese linguistic cultures. This table shows the similarities and differences of symbolic meanings in Russian and Chinese.

Conclusion

It is obvious that the symbolic meanings of the concept of "cloud" refer to its natural characteristics. In both languages, the cloud embodies uncertainty, change, unreal fantasy and a virtual space for storing information.

In Russian, the lexeme "cloud" is often associated with religion and God, representing God's will to separate the world of sin from the world of light, which is endowed with a mystical connotation. The "cloud" is often used as a manifestation of the will of God or even the personification of the prophet. Changing shape, color may portend a change in the weather. In Chinese, the "cloud" as a fantastic and unreal image is often used by poets and writers as a means of expressing their mood and feelings, even their ambitions and aspirations for a career or life. The "cloud" reflects mixed feelings, not only of the romanticism of traditional Chinese poets, but also their condemnation, helplessness in front of social reality. This is a demonstrative evidence that, compared to the Russian people, the Chinese are more restrained when expressing their desires and ideals, express their refined feelings in a more delicate and euphemistic way.

It is noteworthy that the concept of "cloud" is an important and irreplaceable image in Russian and Chinese linguistic cultures. Comparing the lexeme "cloud" in two languages, we see that semantic variants are formed due to various figurative meanings and metaphors that represent the understanding of the concept in Russian and Chinese worldviews. In general, the lexeme "cloud", as the most widespread and widely depicted natural phenomenon, deserves great attention both in Russian and in Chinese. In addition to the feelings and meanings that the "cloud" is endowed with in the traditional sense, its illusory symbolism is also widely used in neologisms. The concept of "cloud" is an integral part of Chinese and Russian culture, acquires a variety of national specifics, in which various cultural codes are preserved.