The Colour Names in Belarusian, Russian and Polish Toponymy: Frequency, Ways of Implementation of Semantics, Ethnic Meaningful Characteristics

Abstract

The aim of the article was a comparative study of Belarusian, Russian and Polish toponymic units, which include a coloristic component or the internal form of which is motivated by color lexemes (colouronyms). In the article, the consideration of toponyms with color component was carried out mainly on the basis of oikonyms, hydronyms and microtoponyms.  The selection of the material and the definition of etymology of geographical names had been carried out according to the authoritative Belarusian, Russian and Polish publications, as well as electronic state catalogues and registers. The scientific approaches to the study of language as a social phenomenon, generally accepted in linguistics, constitute the methodological basis of the work. Descriptive, comparative, and quantitative methods had been used in the study. The analysis revealed the degree of representation of specific colors in the national toponymy, the ways of realization of color semantics and features of color toponymic motivation have been established, the color priorities in toponymy against the background of ethnic coloristic tradition in the culture of the Belarusian, Russian and Polish peoples have been determined.