FUNCTIONS OF COLOUR TERMS IN OVID’S “EX PONTO”

Abstract

In the paper, the researcher considers and organizes all contexts, in which color terms occur in “Ex Ponto”, analyze features of functioning of color vocabulary. The work distinguishes three artistic functions of color (descriptive, allegorical and emblematic) that explain Ovid’s use of color meanings in a particular context. It can be concluded that approximately half of all cases of using color vocabulary account for allegorical and emblematic functions, i.e. in half of all cases, in addition to the color meaning of the lexeme, Ovid also uses another semantic layer. “Candidus” is used in “Ex Ponto” almost only in the meaning of “sincerity”, “honesty”, the chromatic meaning of the lexeme is not involved, which is not typical for the author. The variety of chromatic vocabulary is generally much less than in Ovid’s other poetic works; vocabulary, usually often used in an allegorical or emblematic function, is less common or absent. The uses in these functions present in the text look like a formal reference to the traditional typical uses of coloratives.