“AT” / “HORSE” IN THE CONCEPTUAL SPACE “ALTAI-KIZHI” / “ALTAIAN” IN THE CONTEXT OF NATIONAL IDENTITY: LINGUOCULTUROLOGICAL RESEARCH

Abstract

In the article the concept “at” / “horse” is considered as a component of macroconcept of “Altai-Kizhi” / “Altai”, which is included in the conceptual sphere of the Altai culture, reflects the ways indigenous people of the Altai Republic about themselves, their connections, the principles of the relationship of the individual with the world. The article analyzes the associative and cultural content of the concept “at” / “horse” in the Altai language consciousness. The proposed approach to the analysis of the content of the concept “at” / “horse” is one of the ways to find out features of the national mentality, worldview and identity of a particular people. The content of the concept is described as a result of an associative experiment in the Altai language and the analysis of texts of the Altai culture. The results of the study show that in the language consciousness of the Altai people, original associative reactions are predetermined by the system of the Altai language, ethno psychology, culture and the traditional way of life of the indigenous people of the Altai Republic. The concept of “at” / “horse” becomes one of those mental constants, through which the world of nomads can be viewed from archaic times to the present.