Metaphor and comparison as means of expressing cultural codes in S. A. Saryg-ool’s work “Angyr-ooldung toozhuzy”
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25178/nit.2026.3.3Keywords:
Tuvan literature, Stepan Agbanovich Saryg-ool, cultural code, zoomorphic code, spiritual code, worldview, metaphorAbstract
The article analyzes metaphors and comparisons as means of objectifying zoomorphic and spiritual cultural codes in the dilogy-novella “Angyr-ooldung toozhuzy” (“The Story of the Bright Boy”) by the Tuvan writer S. A. Saryg-ool. The relevance of the study is determined by the need to identify the linguistic mechanisms of transmitting the traditional worldview in the work. The choice of metaphor and comparison as the main analytical tools is due to their recognition as a basic mechanism of conceptualizing the world.
A continuous sampling of examples from the novella has confirmed that these linguistic means are dominant in the representation of the cultural codes under study. The empirical base consists of about 200 contexts.
It is shown that the zoomorphic code is realized through extended comparisons with animal young, zero comparative constructions, and magical and ritual likenings. The spiritual code is revealed through cognitive models of the concept “sünezin” ‘soul’: the soul as an inanimate object, as a substance, as a container, and as an animate entity.
It is concluded that metaphor and comparison function not only as figurative devices, but also as key mechanisms for objectifying cultural codes, modeling the traditional worldview, and representing the protagonist’s coming of age.
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Amanzholova J. B., Kara-ool L. S. and Kairzhanova A. T. Metaphor and comparison as means of expressing cultural codes in S. A. Saryg-ool’s work “Angyr-ooldung toozhuzy”. New Research of Tuva, 2026, no. 3, pp. 33-46. (In Russ.). DOI: https://doi.org/10.25178/nit.2026.3.3
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