Lexical and semantic analysis of proper names in the Yakut epic olonkho

Abstract

This article presents a lexical and semantic analysis of linguistic techniques used to translate the proper names of epic characters into Russian. The article aims to identify which translation techniques are most effectively used in translating proper names from Yakut into Russian, reinforcing them with examples from the olonkho. The material for the analysis was the texts of the olonkho “Nurgun Botur the Swift”, “Obstinate Kulun Kullustur”, “Invincible Mulju Bege”, “Khan-Jargystai”, “Mighty Jagaryma”, “Kyys Debiliye”, “Eles Botur”, “Furious Er Sogotokh”, “Son of the Horse Bogatyr Dyyray” and others. The theoretical basis of the study is based on the works of Russian researchers A. D. Schweitzer and V. M. Nikiforov. The primary research methods were lexical-semantic, statistical, and descriptive. The study identified the following translation techniques for the proper names of epic characters: аdequate replacement, equivalent replacement, analog, calque, omission, transliteration, and addition. In terms of frequency of use, adequate and equivalent replacements are most common, followed by analog, omission, and addition. Calque, transcription, and transliteration are rare.