THE ETHNOCULTURAL CODE OF PHYTONYMS: THEIR ROLE IN THE SYSTEM OF SUPERSTITIONS, TABOOS, AND RITUALS

Abstract

The article examines the ethnocultural code of phytonyms, which occupy an important place in the linguistic worldview of the Kazakh people, as well as their role in the system of beliefs, taboos, and rituals. Phytonyms are not limited to nominative meaning but are viewed as cultural signs reflecting the ecological, sacred, and worldview orientations of the people. In Kazakh ethnolinguistics, the representations associated with plants are considered an integral part of national consciousness and spiritual space. The article provides an ethnolinguistic, semiotic, and cultural-cognitive analysis of phytonyms such as wormwood, adraspan, juniper, millet, saxaul, and tobylgy, with a detailed description of their roles and functions in traditional worldview. Additionally, the reflections of these plants in folklore, proverbs, and religious rituals are explored.

The aim of the article is to determine the role of phytonyms in the belief system, rituals, and cultural traditions of the Kazakh people through the study of their ethnocultural code. Furthermore, it examines the peculiarities of worldview, the relationship with nature and plants, and the formation of folk beliefs through the prism of phytonyms.

The scientific significance of the work lies in uncovering the deep foundations of Kazakh traditions and beliefs through the analysis of the ethnocultural code of phytonyms.

The research methodology is based on ethnolinguistic, semiotic, and cultural-analytic approaches. Special attention is given to the symbolic meaning of phytonyms and their role in linguistic structure. A comparative analysis method was used to identify the ethnocultural code of phytonyms and their place in the system of beliefs, along with a historical-comparative approach to establish the link between traditional language and culture. The results of the article can serve as the foundation for further ethnolinguistic studies aimed at exploring the unity of language, culture, and worldview.