BINARY OPPOSITION NORTH/SOUTH IN RUSSIAN AND CHINESE LINGUOCULTURES

Abstract

The article deals with the binary opposition north/south in Russian and Chinese linguocultures. The description of the conceptual component of the nominations north and south was carried out according to the lexicographic sources of the Russian and Chinese languages, with the involvement of non-linguistic sources. In Russian linguoculture this opposition is associated with notions about the cardinal points in the system of spatial coordinates or direction indicators. For the Chinese linguistic consciousness the north/south binary opposition is more significant and manifests itself at different levels: geographical, political, cultural, linguistic, everyday life etc. It is significant that in Russian and Chinese linguocultures the nominations north and south are actively correlated with toponymy. Thus, the binary opposition north/south manifests itself differently in Russian and Chinese linguocultures, which is explained by the historical, political, cultural and other features of Russia and China.