The Colour Blue in the Paseological Image of the World of Belarusians and Czechs

Abstract

The following article is dedicated to a comparative analysis of the colour blue in Belarusian and Czech phraseology. The objects of research are phraseological units with coloronym (сіні/modrý). The main goal is to compare the representation of the colour blue using both synchronic and diachronic approaches in order to identify equivalents and lacunae and describe their national and cultural specifics. The main comparative method is supplemented by etymological and linguistic-cultural commentaries, the method of continuous sampling of material from significant phraseological dictionaries is also implemented. Observations of the development of phraseological semantics of the colour blue confirm the idea of semantic ambivalence of any colour. Phraseologisms in which the colour blue is subject to the process of metaphorization reflects the social tendencies created by man. Outdated units prevail in the „blue phraseology” of both languages. Neological tendencies are connected to globalization trends and national realities. The analysis showed that in Belarusian and Czech phraseology blue is not dominant, but in the phraseological stock of both languages, it occupies its niche and carries a specific semantic load. The article is a contribution to the development of phraseological comparative research of Belarusian and Czech, the topic of phraseological representation of blue being compared in these two languages has not been previously examined.