YURT AS A MICRO MODEL OF THE UNIVERSE IN THE CONTEXT OF “LANGUAGE:CULTURE”

(linguistic and cultural analysis on the material of the Kazakh and Mongolian languages)

Abstract

One of the main tasks of Altaistics in the XXI century is to study the interconnection and relationship between the large language groups, ​​such as Turkic, Mongolian, Tungus-Manchu and Japanese-Korean, connecting ethnogenesis, history, traditions and customs, spiritual and cultural heritage and world outlook of the people speaking these languages, and an interdisciplinary approach to Altaistics on this basis. It is important to take the phraseological fund of Altaic languages ​​as the goal of comparative studies, based on interdisciplinary complexity.

In this regard, studying mythological-symbolic code of Turkic-Mongolian language picture of the world by comparing the Kazakh and Mongolian equivalent phraseologisms, based on kıiz úı [ki:iz ui] ‘felted mat house’, ‘yurt’, in the context of “language and culture”, we identify the similarities and distinctive features of ancient cognition of the Turkic (Kazakh) and Mongolian culture in Central Asia, historically, culturally and linguistically connected since ancient times. Kıiz úı is not just a house, comfortable for moving from one place to another, but also can symbolise of binary oppositions of the universe.  

In nomadic worldview kıiz úı – the micro image of the world, shаńyraq [ʃahyraq] ‘wooden circle forming the smoke opening of a yurt’ in this image is the micromodel of the Sky, кúldireýish [kuldireuiʃ] 'cross racks on the top side of yurt’ which is connected to shаńyraq like arks symbolises “the unity of the Space and the Man”, ýyq [uwwq] ‘flexed racks connected to shаńyraq is the symbol of the Sun rays that lights the world.