The lexeme ai (moon, month) in Old Tatar written texts (XIII — early XIX century)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25178/nit.2025.2.22Keywords:
ay; Moon; Tatar language; Old Tatar written language; Turkic languageAbstract
The article presents an analysis of the lexeme “ay” (moon, month), which holds significant importance in the Old Tatar written language. Since ancient times, in the Tatar linguistic worldview—as in those of all peoples of the world — the Moon has been perceived as a special celestial object, a cosmic symbol of earthly life in all its forms. The choice of this word is motivated by its widespread usage in the Old Tatar language and its rich semantic potential as reflected in written texts from the 13th to the early 19th century. The source base consists of twenty-four written monuments from the specified periods.
The study reveals that in the analyzed Old Tatar written sources, ay is one of the most consistent and enduring images. The analysis of the linguistic material shows that the lexeme “ay” (moon, month), when used in a figurative sense, demonstrates remarkable semantic diversity.
The results of the study indicate that different authors employ the semantic resources of this lexeme in various ways in their works. The uniqueness of the word’s semantics lies in the fact that nearly all dictionary meanings of this lexeme offer wide opportunities for its use in symbolic contexts. The figurative use of the word ay in Old Tatar written monuments primarily actualizes the following meanings: celestial body, source of light, period from one new moon to the next, symbol of health and healing, symbol of beauty, among others — all of which remain relevant today. These lexical meanings have been preserved up to the present time.
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For citation:
Kadirova E. Kh., Valieva M. Z. and Sagdeeva F. K. The lexeme ai (moon, month) in Old Tatar written texts (XIII — early XIX century). New Research of Tuva, 2025, no. 2, pp. 365-377. (In Russ.). DOI: https://doi.org/10.25178/nit.2025.2.22
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Author Biographies
Enze Kh. Kadirova, G. Ibragimov Institute of Language, Literature and Art of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan
Candidate of Philology, Senior Researcher, Department of General Linguistics, G. Ibraghimov's Institute of Language, Literature and Arts of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan.
Postal address: 12/4 Karla Marxa St., Kazan, Russia, 420111.
E-mail: enge@inbox.ru
Milyausha Z. Valieva, G. Ibragimov Institute of Language, Literature and Art of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan
Candidate of Philology, Senior Researcher, Department of General Linguistics, G. Ibraghimov's Institute of Language, Literature and Arts of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan.
Postal address: 12/4 Karla Marxa St., Kazan, Russia, 420111.
E-mail: miliy21@mail.ru
Fauziya K. Sagdeeva, G. Ibragimov Institute of Language, Literature and Art of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan
Candidate of Philology, Senior Researcher, Department of General Linguistics, G. Ibraghimov's Institute of Language, Literature and Arts of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan.
Postal address: 12/4 Karla Marxa St., Kazan, Russia, 420111.
E-mail: fauzija.sagdeewa@yandex.ru
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