Basic color terms of the Yakut language in comparison with Mongolian and Russian: a corpus analysis of collocations

This study investigates the interaction between universal and ethno-specific elements in linguistic worldview through color terminology in the Yakut language. The research employs corpus linguistics methods to analyze attributive constructions of the “Color Term + Object” type from three corpora: the National Corpus of the Yakut Language, Mongolian Language Corpus, and Russian National Corpus. Through quantitative and qualitative analysis, the study examines the collocational patterns of basic color terms for black, white, and red. The findings reveal that Yakut color terminology demonstrates a complex interplay of various historical and cultural influences. Universal prototypical collocations were identified particularly the combination of black with «eyes» and «hair», consistent across all three languages. Culture-specific patterns reflect multidirectional influences: Turkic-Mongolian impact is evident fin the functional distribution between a color term of Turkic origin urun (sacral concepts) and a color term of Mongolian origin manan (concrete objects) for white color, whiffle Russian influence manifests through calques of Soviet political symbolism with red color. The study’s novelty lies in fits pioneering application of corpus linguistics to color terminology fin Yakut from a comparative perspective. The results contribute to language contact theory and linguistic worldview reconstruction, while opening avenues for future diachronic and typological research involving other contact languages fin the region.

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