Linguocultural meaning of colours in phraseology (on materials of English, Russian and Uzbek)

Abstract

This article is devoted to a linguacultural analysis of colour designations within phraseological units in the English, Russian, and Uzbek languages. The relevance of this study is determined by the growing interest in modern linguistics in color semantics as a means of reflecting national worldviews, cultural values, and the characteristics of collective consciousness. Based on English, Russian, and Uzbek phraseology, the author analyzes the expression of a person’s financial status, origin, and behavioral characteristics. Particular attention is paid to comparing universal and nationally specific models of colour symbolization. The results of the study demonstrate that color designations in phraseology are closely linked to the historical experience of people, their way of thinking, and value system. Comparative approach allows to identify both general patterns and the unique characteristics of each linguoculture in the interpretation of colour symbolism. This article examines how colour components enhance the figurativeness and evaluative value of set expressions. The analysis demonstrates that the same colour can have both similar and different cultural associations in different languages. This demonstrates the complex interaction between universal cognitive mechanisms and national and cultural specifics. Of particular importance is identifying cases where color designation becomes a marker of social status, wealth, poverty, or moral evaluation of a person. The obtained results can be used in further research in phraseology, linguoculturology and comparative linguistics. The article's materials are also of interest for studying the national and cultural specificity of linguistic units in the context of intercultural communication.