Exploring Networks of Lexical Variation in Russian Sign Language

When describing variation at the lexical level in sign languages, researchers often distinguish between phonological and lexical variants, using the following principle: if two signs differ in only one of the major phonological components (handshape, orientation, movement, location), then they are considered phonological variants, otherwise they are considered separate lexemes. We demonstrate that this principle leads to contradictions in some simple and more complex cases of variation. We argue that it is useful to visualize the relations between variants as graphs, and we describe possible networks of variants that can arise using this visualization tool. We further demonstrate that these scenarios in fact arise in the case of variation in color terms and kinship terms in Russian Sign Language (RSL), using a newly created database of lexical variation in RSL. We show that it is possible to develop a set of formal rules that can help distinguish phonological and lexical variation also in the problematic scenarios. However, we argue that it might be a mistake to dismiss the actual patterns of variant relations in order to arrive at the binary lexical vs. phonological variant opposition.

Analysis of Semiotic Found in Football Shoes Advertisements

Aims in this study, first is to find out verbal and non-verbal signs found in football shoes advertisements, and second is to analyze the meaning of verbal and non-verbal signs found in football shoes advertisements. The data sources from this study were taken from the Official Account of Nike, Puma, and Adidas. This study used the descriptive qualitative method. The data were analyzed based on the theory proposed by Saussure (1983) about sign elements, the theory from Barthes (1964) about the meaning of signs, and the supporting theory from Cerrato (2012) to analyze the color terms. The result of this study showed the advertisements used the written texts as the verbal signs and the color choice and picture of advertisements as non-verbal signs. These signs also contained denotative and connotative meanings to make a good combination to attract the attention of readers.

Intergenerational differences in Russian color naming in the globalized era: linguistic analysis

The present study is an apparent-time analysis of color terms in Russian native speakers (N = 1927), whose age varied between 16 and 98 years. Stratified sampling was employed with the following age groups: 16–19, 20–29, and so on, with the oldest group of 70 years and over. Color names were elicited in a web-based psycholinguistic experiment (http://colournaming.com). Participants labeled color samples (N = 606) using an unconstrained color-naming method. Color vocabulary of each age group was estimated using multiple linguistic measures: diversity index; frequency of occurrences of 12 Russian basic color terms (BCTs) and of most frequent non-BCTs; color-naming pattern. Our findings show intergenerational differences in Russian color-term vocabulary, color-naming patterns, and object referents. The CT diversity (measured by the Margalef index) progressively increments with speakers’ juniority; the lexical refinement is manifested by the increasing variety of BCT modifiers and growing use of non-BCTs, both traditional and novel. Furthermore, the most frequent Russian non-BCTs sirenevyj “lilac”, salatovyj “lettuce‐colored”, and birûzovyj “turquoise” appear to be the emerging BCTs. The greatest diversity and richness of CT inventory is observed in Russian speakers aged 20–59 years, i.e., those who constitute the active workforce and are enthusiastic consumers. In comparison, speakers of 60 and over manifest less diverse color inventory and greater prevalence of (modified) BCTs. The two youngest groups (16–29 years) are linguistic innovators: their color vocabulary includes abundant recent loanwords, predominantly from English and, not infrequently, CTs as nouns rather than adjectives. Moreover, Generation Z (16–19 years) tend to offer highly specific or idiosyncratic color descriptors that serve expressive rather than informative function. The apprehended dynamics of color naming in apparent time reflects intergenerational differences as such, but even more so dramatic changes of sociocultural reality in the post-Soviet era, whereby Russian speakers, in particular under 60 years, were/are greatly impacted by globalization of trade: new market product arrivals resulted in adoption of novel and elaboration of traditional CTs for efficient communication about perceived color

Cultural codes of the new reality in the multilingual space and interlingual contacts (through the lens of color term research)

Colors, color terms and color symbolism are determined by a multitude of linguistic and cultural contacts in various spheres of social, political and cultural aspects of life in various geopolitical dimensions. They are of a great interest to scholars studying linguistic processes in the multilingual space. In the recent decades the mental modus operandi has shifted towards the visual aspect, precoding texts into images. This process has had a great influence on interlinguistic contacts; it is represented in the new reality through various semiotic devices, among which are the color components. The research rationale is motivated by the fact that images of total socialization lead to a multidirectional cognition of colors and color code transformation. Researching these processes through the lens of color studies reveals the multitude of ways of linguistic experience objectification and the impact it has on mentality. Due to the relevance of the problem, the authors aim to study the potential of cultural and cognitive information contained by color terms in various languages by addressing cultural codes of the new language reality in the multidimensional linguistic space. Color is an important component of culture and the realization of moral and aesthetic values; it is surrounded by a system of associations created by the objective material world and various cultural factors that are widely represented in the modern linguistic practice, which determines the relevance of comparative studies. This scientific approach facilitates a comprehensive description of connections between colors and tokens in different languages, as well as the practical value of color terms and their multidimensionality.

THE COLOR TERMS FOR BLACK AND WHITE IN BULGARIAN, POLISH AND LITHUANIAN PHRASEOLOGICAL UNITS

The present paper is contrastive analysis of Bulgarian, Polish and Lithuanian phraseological units containing a color term naming black or white. It traces the way these components reflect the figurative meaning of the unit - through their color semantics or through their function as a cultural signs. The study classiffiеs Bulgarian, Polish and Lithuanian expressions as to their belongings to several groups, which refer to different concepts. In each group the comparison of the examples found in the three phraseological subsystems is based on their semantics, their lexical components and structure. Under observations are substantive, adjectival, adverbial and verbal phraseological units where the colors are used only as an adjective component. The analysis takes into consideration that black has negative symbolism and cultural connotations. Thus the phraseological units with black are linked mainly to the concepts such as death, sorrow, bad life, misfortune. The text suggests that color term for black is rarely used to express neutral or positive meanings. The white has a positive cultural connotation associated to whiteness, light, good life, goodness, but its meaning can vary to neutral or negative in phraseological system of the three languages. The present paper observes similarities of collected phraseological expressions and emphasizes their nation-specific features.

An analysis of semiotic found in the selected skincare advertisement

Advertisement is a media that use to promote a product or service for the public. In the advertisement there are signs.. This study concern to analyze the verbal and non-verbal signs found in the skincare advertisement. There two aims of this study such as: (1) to find out the verbal and non-verbal signs in the skincare advertisement, (2) to analyze the meaning of verbal and non-verbal signs of the skincare advertisement. This study use descriptive qualitative method. The data were analyzed based on theory proposed by Barthes (1964) about the signifier and signified and about the meaning. The researcher used supporting theory by Wierzbicka (1996) about six color terms. The result of this study showed the verbal sign in form of written text and for the non-verbal sign showed in form of image. In this research the researcher found twenty (20) verbal signs and seven (7) non-verbal signs. And this sign also contains the denotative and connotative meaning

Lexical Color Categories

Color is a continuous variable, and humans can distinguish more than a million colors, yet world color lexicons contain no more than a dozen basic color terms. It has been understood for 160 years that the number of color terms in a lexicon varies greatly across languages, yet the lexical color categories defined by these terms are similar worldwide. Starting with the seminal study by Berlin and Kay, this review considers how and why this is so. Evidence from psychological, linguistic, and computational studies has advanced our understanding of how color categories came into being, how they contribute to our shared understanding of color, and how the resultant categories influence color perception and cognition. A key insight from the last 50 years of research is how human perception and the need for communication within a society worked together to create color lexicons that are somewhat diverse, yet show striking regularities worldwide.

The Semantic Structure of Color Terms in Arabic: A Cognitive Approach

The acquisition of the ability of perceiving and naming colors through language is an important topic in which languages vary and differ. The construction of color concepts and naming them are directly influenced by the culture and environment of each society. This can be noted by observing two aspects: Cognitive Semantics and its effect on the collective mind. This study focuses on the cognitive foundations of color terms in Arabic, and the semantic relation between the color concepts and terms in selected examples from both old and new usage of these color terms in Arabic. The study aims to cover the most dominant semantic components for color terms in the Arabic language, using the cognitive linguistic approach and the descriptive analytics method to determine the structure of cognitive perception of color terms in a language. Furthermore, the study stands on two pillars; the first reveals the way the conceptualization pattern of color terms occurs in Arab mindset displayed through selected examples of theoretical data on cognitive semantics, whereas the second addresses the semantic principle of color classification in Arabic. Finally, the conclusion, confirming the results about the notion that color naming in Arabic is based on the visual images associated with the colors in Arab environment, related to night and day. Hence, the color term becomes connected in the Arab mindset with the visual image, and under each color are colors similar to it in hue.