REFLEXES OF *DENG ‘EQUAL’ IN EURASIAN LANGUAGES

Abstract

The article presents a comparative analysis of contemporary reflexes of *deng ‘equal’ in a number of Eurasian language families. The article shows that in ancient times this root had an adjective meaning. In the process of its development, *deng underwent various modifications, both in form and in meaning. In the compared languages, this root received the transforms: deң / dəң / teң / tyң / tyң / təңg / təң / toң / dүң / tuң / tan / den / tech / tig / tag / dec / tөөy / tөy // dĕng / tóng / tòng / dài // dig / dig / diy / dy / tyy / teki / tiki / dei / tei / dai / tai / doi / dy. Morphological changes at the beginning (d / t), middle (e / ə / a / and / ө / о) and the end (ң / ңг / нк / н / к / г / й) of the compared units correspond to the patterns of alternation in the languages of Eurasia. The paper shows that *deng, which in antiquity had only an adjective meaning, functionally modifying and semantically enriching, acquired substantive (“sameness”, “identification”, “connective”), additional adjective (“equivalent” , “identical”), adverbial (“equal”, “identical”, “joint” ...) and relational (“how”, “as if”, “like ”) meanings.