Adjective ariu ʻbeautifulʼ in karachay-balkar language: function, semantics, and ethnocultural meaning

The article is associated with the analysis of the vocabulary of the Karachay-Balkar language. In it, the polysemantic axiological adjectival lexeme ariu ʻbeautifulʼ, which has a three-member homonymous paradigm and is used in a number of Turkic languages, is subjected to a multi-aspect analysis. Its functional-semantic and word-formation potential, grammatical features, and representation in various types of floronyms and microtoponyms, as well as anthroponyms denoting female individuals, are identified and described. The paper states that the analyzed word is associated with the archaic notions of beauty relevant to the Karachay-Balkar ethno- and linguistic culture, which have not lost their significance in the present day. The functional and ethnocultural features of the word ariu are more pronounced in the context of paremiological statements. These statements highlight the components that are essential for the ethnic paremiological worldview.

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