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Spiritual Culture of the Oirats in the Yuan and Early Ming Dynasties
Research Article
Ethnic Culture Volume 7 No 3- Authors:
- Baatr U. Kitinov, Iue Sun
- Work direction:
- Ethnography, Ethnology and Anthropology
- Abstract:
- This article explores the spiritual culture of the Oirats against the backdrop of major historical transformations during the Yuan and early Ming dynasties. The authors briefly examine the shift in the Oirats religious beliefs from the shamanism that prevailed in the pre-Mongol period to the gradual adoption of Buddhism through migration and contact with other cultures. Our research reveals that the Oirats developed a rich culture encompassing an epic heritage and a body of mythological and religious concepts. The article traces the role of political and cultural factors, including the participation of the Oirats in the conquest policy of Genghis Khan, their integration into the cultural system of the Mongol Empire, as well as the further rise of Oirat rulers in the Ming era. Attention is also given to the consolidation of Buddhism, which began to take hold under Toghon and became the state religion under Esen. Moreover, Esen employed high-ranking Buddhist monks in the capacity of state preceptors, underscoring the alignment of the nations ideological framework with the strengthening of relations with the Ming dynasty. Historical sources confirm active diplomatic exchanges between the Oirats and Ming China. It is concluded that the Oirats’adoption of Buddhism played a decisive role in preserving their ethno-cultural integrity and fostering unity amidst interethnic interactions.
- Keywords:
- culture, Oirats, Yuan Dynasty, early Ming Dynasty, Buddhism
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Linguistic-Axiological Peculiarities of Fiction as a Translatological Issue (Based on Short Stories by Ghanaian Writer Ama Ata Aidoo)
Research Article Ethnic Culture Volume 7 No 3- Author:
- Artem I. Yakovlev
- Work direction:
- World languages and literature
- Abstract:
- The article is devoted to linguistic analysis of two short stories by Ghanaian writer Ama Ata Aidoo from the standpoint of linguistic axiology and translation studies. The research helps identify language and text markers of the author’s expressive means in 20 contexts taken from the short stories “For Whom Things Did not Change” and “Other Versions” from the short story collection “No Sweetness Here”. The axiologically filled contexts are identified based on the writer’s system of values as outlined by Russian and foreign literary critics. The research suggests that it is possible to delineate various language units functioning on all levels of the language – from phonology and graphics up to syntax. The axiologically marked units are then analysed from the perspective of translation studies in order to understand how the writer’s system of values can be expressed while translating her works into the Russian language. It is noteworthy that Ama Ata Aidoo uses a wide range of expressive means, often combining them, in order to convey her system of values. She also uses intertextual elements and titles for the same purpose. That said, the Russian translations of these short stories significantly transform the original texts, with some of these transformations being rather questionable. Nonetheless, the research makes it possible to assume that the system of transformations undertaken by translators helps them achieve the transmission of Ama Ata Aidoo’s values in Russian texts rather successfully.
- Keywords:
- text analysis, linguistic stylistics, linguistic axiology, literary texts, translation of literary works, Ghanaian literature
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Chuvash-Determined Surnames as a Marker of the Cheboksary Regiolect of the Russian Language
Research Article Ethnic Culture Volume 7 No 3- Author:
- Eduard V. Fomin
- Work direction:
- World languages and literature
- Abstract:
- The work continues the series of publications on the Cheboksary regional dialect of the Russian language. This study examines Russian surnames of Chuvash origin as a feature of the speech of residents of Cheboksary. The material for the study was surnames common in the Chuvash Republic. The work is based on a qualitative analysis of factual material. Chuvash surnames have undergone significant qualitative changes over the past three centuries from the original eastern Tatar-Islamic tradition to the modern Christian one. The surnames of Cheboksary residents cannot be a marker of the Cheboksary regional dialect of the Russian language. In general, Cheboksary surnames, due to their simple denominal origin, can be understood as a generalizing marker. The combination of Orthodox-conditioned denominal surnames such as Ivanov, Petrov, Fedorov with Chuvashism surnames such as Sadyrga, Yakku, Mulgachev, Kashkarov creates a unique anthroponymic background for the functioning of the Cheboksary regional dialect, reinforcing the impression of its qualitative parameters. The Christian foundations of the Chuvash nomenclature go beyond the anthroponymic dictionary: in modern conditions, almost all names in the Chuvash environment are oriented towards the Russian tradition. Russian-Orthodox names largely form the Russian visual landscape of the region.
- Keywords:
- Chuvash language, Russian language, language contacts, anthroponyms, regional variation of the Russian language
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The Main Data about the Consonant System of the Low German Dialect of the Mennonite Germans of the Simferopol Region of the Crimean Peninsula
Research Article Ethnic Culture Volume 7 No 3- Authors:
- Yulia V. Berezina, Viacheslav N. Onoshko, Yulia S. Zhilina, Denis E. Voytov, Olga V. Skurikhina
- Work direction:
- World languages and literature
- Abstract:
- The article describes the consonant system of the Low German dialect of the Mennonite Germans of the Simferopol region of Crimea. Mennonites are followers of the Reformation movement that emerged in the 16th century in the Netherlands. The founder of this religious teaching was former Frisian Catholic priest Menno Simons (1496–1561), who united small, disjointed congregations of Anabaptists based on his doctrine. Since 1789, at the invitation of Catherine II, Mennonites began to migrate to Russia. The study is based on an analysis of the oral speech of representatives of an ethnic religious community who retained their native language in a foreign-speaking environment. The authors identify 25 consonant phonemes and describe in detail their classification according to articulatory and acoustic characteristics, as well as the functional load based on frequency of use. Special attention is paid to the specific features of consonantism, including the preservation of archaic features characteristic of the Low German dialect Plattdeutsch, as well as the influence of Russian and High German dialects. Such phenomena as palatalization before the vowels of the front row, spirantization of the consonants, velarization [l], vocalization [r], the presence of voiced consonants at the absolute end of the word. The analysis shows that the dialect under study retains a significant degree of archaism, while simultaneously being influenced by the contact Russian language. Despite the numerical reduction of native speakers, the consonant system demonstrates stability and internal logic, which makes it an important object for linguistic and ethnolinguistic research.
- Keywords:
- Mennonite Germans, Low German dialect, phonological analysis, consonantism, functional load of phonemes
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Problems of Teaching the Native Language to Even Children
Research Article Ethnic Culture Volume 7 No 3- Author:
- Yuri A. Sleptsov
- Work direction:
- Ethno-Cultural Problems of Education
- Abstract:
- This paper examines the functioning of the Even language in modern conditions. The research material is based on observations of the process of teaching Even children their native language. Using theoretical analysis and generalization of pedagogical experience, the author investigated and identified the most effective forms and means of teaching the Even language. The study covers northeastern Yakutia, specifically the Momsky (Even) National District. The small Even people, formerly known as Lamuts, live across a significant territory in northeastern Russia. They lead a nomadic lifestyle, constantly moving from one pasture to another, which is required by their traditional form of economy – domestic reindeer herding. Currently, the Even language is endangered; its use is declining, and its transmission to the younger generation is declining. Textbooks do not always meet the objectives of teaching dialects. In this paper, the author, using theoretical analysis and generalization of pedagogical experience, determines the most effective forms and means of teaching Even children. It is important to preserve the cultural context of the language through education, traditions, folklore, and its active use in the socio-cultural environment. Creating conditions for systematic and successful teaching of the native language to Even children should include expanding the scope of language use and its integration into everyday life.
- Keywords:
- dialect, Evens, nomadic camp, tribal community, Even language