Ashrapov B.P. Word-building potential and morphological features of the Tajik suffix -ча and its English equivalents (on the example of animals’ cub derivation)

УДК 81:811[111:222.8]

WORD-BUILDING POTENTIAL AND MORPHOLOGICAL FEATURES

OF THE SUFFIX -ЧА AND ITS ENGLISH EQUIVALENTS

(ON THE EXAMPLE OF ANIMALS’ CUB DERIVATION)

Ashrapov B.P.

The article dwells on the issue concerned with the comparative analysis of the word-building and morphological features of the suffix -ча and its English equivalents on the example of “A brief word-building dictionary of Tajik literary language” (1983) and “Tajik-English dictionary” (2005). The dictionaries under study are considered to be one of the priceless and fundamental sources contained a numerous literary facts and evidences belonging to modern Tajik literary language. In the course of the research the author of the article makes an endeavour to carry out the English equivalents of Tajik derivative words formed by virtue of the suffix -ча and composed by the word “бача”/“baby” those ones are not identical and the majority of them are used and translated into English as simple, derivative, compound, composite ones and phrases. It is concluded that the relevant word-building element is considered to be one of productive ones contributed into animals’ cub derivation.

Keywords: suffix, comparative analysis, Tajik and English languages, word-building potential, animals’ cub derivation.

СЛОВООБРАЗОВАТЕЛЬНЫЙ ПОТЕНЦИАЛ И МОРФОЛОГИЧЕСКИЕ ОСОБЕННОСТИ

СУФФИКСА -ЧА В ТАДЖИКСКОМ ЯЗЫКЕ И ЕГО АНГЛИЙСКИХ ЭКВИВАЛЕНТОВ 

(НА ПРИМЕРЕ ОБРАЗОВАНИЯ НАЗВАНИЙ ДЕТЕНЫШЕЙ ЖИВОТНЫХ)

Ашрапов Б.П.

В статье рассматривается вопрос сравнительного анализа словообразовательных и морфологических особенностей суффикса -чаи его английских эквивалентов на примере «Краткого словообразовательного словаря таджикского литературного языка» (1983) и «Таджикско-английского словаря» (2005). Изучаемые словари считаются одними из фундаментальных источников, содержащих многочисленные литературные факты и свидетельства, относящиеся к современному таджикскому литературному языку. В ходе исследования автор статьи предпринимает попытку провести английские эквиваленты таджикских производных слов, образованных суффиксом -ча и состоящих из слова «бача»/«ребенок», которые не тождественны и большинство из них используются и переводятся на английский язык как простые, производные, составные, сложные и словосочетания. Сделан вывод, что соответствующий словообразовательный элемент считается одним из продуктивных, внесших вклад в образование названий детенышей животных.

Ключевые слова: суффикс, сопоставительный анализ, таджикский и английский языки, словообразовательный потенциал, образование названий детенышей животных.

Introduction

It is common knowledge that word-combination is considered to be one of the ways to enrich the language word-stock. There are also several ways and methods targeted at word-combination in modern Tajik literary language (MTLL) [1; 3], but the most productive is the morphological one in the language of the comparative historical productions, like MTLL many new lexical elements participate in the creation of a large considerable new derivative words. Even, in the 13th century one of the great scholars in the sphere of three literary sciences Shamsi Qais Razi has analysed a number of lexical and formative elements in his work entitled as “al-Mujam” and adduced certain examples to strengthen his thought [4, p. 177-198]. Professor Sh. Rustamov spoke about the role and position of prefixes and suffixes in word-combination and showed the level of their usage and denoted his conclusive evidence beset with the corpus of our study [q.v.: 5].

It is worth mentioning that not all kind of words are mechanically connected to any word-building elements to form new derivative words, but such combination of words by virtue of prefixes or suffixes occurs in term of certain linguistic rules. Indeed, the numbers of nominal suffixes are numerous those ones form the nouns denoting place and temporal, personal and non-personal and material etc. In the corpus of our study the former in question occupies a particular place of word-building potential, especially derivation of new words by dint of certain word-building elements.

Literature review

The given article dwells on the issue of the word-building potential of the suffix -ча and its English equivalents on the example of “A brief word-building Dictionary of Tajik literary language” (1983) [2] and “Tajik-English Dictionary” (2005) [6]. Into the bargain, we decided to canvass the relevant lexical element contributed to new derivative nouns formation in the corpus of our study, upon the whole.

The objective of the corpus of our study are:

– to consider morphological peculiarities and determine the level of usage of this suffix in terms of its function and meaning;

– to compare the relevance of the theme explored with its English equivalents on the example of animals` cub derivation;

– to canvass certain distinctive features of the suffix -ча with its other equivalents.

Scientific novelty

The article under consideration dwells on word-building potential and morphological peculiarities of the suffix -ча and its English equivalents in Tajik linguistic studies, for the first time. It is worth mentioning that the relevant word-building element is one of the most productive ones in the corpus of our study.

Methodology

While canvassing the distinctive peculiarities and the frequency of uses of the suffix -ча, we have resorted to the following visual methods, such as: comparative and historical, synchronic and diachronic ones.

Abbreviations

CEWs – compound English words; CL – comparative languages; ComEWs – composite English words; DWs – derivative words; EDWs – English derivative words; EEs – English equivalents; EL – English language; MTLL – modern Tajik literary language; PHs – phrases; SEWs – simple English words; TDWs – Tajik derivative words; TL – Tajik language; TT – Tajik translation.

Main results and dissuasion

It is common-knowledge that the suffix -ча is considered to be one of the morphemes possessing a very ancient origin and background in the history of our language. As well as, in “A brief word-building Dictionary of Tajik literary language” and “Tajik-English Dictionary” the former in question is among the most productive word-building elements, which most often serves as a formative suffix: шайтончаn. colloq. – imp, little devil – fig. naughty child, mischievous child:Эҳ шайтончае ба он ҷо чи хел баромадй -a? (Oh, you naughty child, how did you get up there?) [6, p. 661]; ширинча – n. aphid, plant louse – n. phylloxera (a small insect similar to an aphid) – adj. slightly sweet: Себ акнун ширинча шуда буд (The apples were just slightly sweet) [6, p. 673].

Adducing the above-given examples one can assert that the English equivalents of the derivative noun шайтонча are used as noun phrases, such as: naughty child, mischievous child and the adjective little is also resorted to as its EE: little devil.

In the second sentence, the suffix -ча participates to form new derivative adjective from the adjective ширин and its EE is translated based on the model: adjective + -ly + adjective: slightly sweet.

As we mentioned above, in “Tajik-English Dictionary” the suffix -ча is considered to be one of the most productive ones, which is used not only in the derivation of nouns, but in the formation of other parts of speech either. Hereby, we make an endeavour to carry out the position its word-combination and the level of its usage in different parts of speech.

1) Initially, we can confidently express our own opinion that the relevant suffix participates to form a series of new derivative nouns from nouns in most cases based on:

a) the model of nouns denoting the names of animals+ the suffix -ча: баррача – n. small lamb [6, p. 61; 2, p. 16], гурбача– n. kitten [6, p. 155], самандча [2, p. 43] – n. affec. little horse, horsey; hobbyhorse; carousel horse [6, p. 32]; мушча n. – small mouse; comp. sci. mouse – fig.[6, p. 371], тойча – n. newborn foal [6, p. 548], хукча – n. piglet [6, p. 597];

b) the model of nouns denoting the names of insects+ the suffix -ча: мурча я. ant same as мӯр [6, p. 371; 4, p. 35];

c) the model of nouns denoting the names of birds+ the suffix -ча: зоғча n. zool. jackdaw [6, p. 228; 2, p. 23].

Харгӯшчаяк рӯз, ду рӯз, як ҳафта ва ниҳоят як сол ҳамин хел тарсончак буд. One day, two days, a week and finally a year [had passed], and at the very end Mr. Rabbit had turned out to be that very same type of coward (from a Tajik folk tale) [6, p. 398].

It is worth stressing that the derivative noun харгӯшча is adduced from a Tajik folk tale and is translated based on figurative one, such as Mr. Rabbit, here the relevant word expresses endement and kindness relation with non-personal nouns rabbit and this is one of the distinctive features of the theme explored.

2) Into the bargain, the expression of endement and kindness relation with non-personal nouns is identified by means of the Tajik word бача/baby on the model of compound words, such as: noun + бача/baby: гургбача – n. wolf cub [6, p. 155], кучукбача – n. colloq. pup, puppy [6, p. 284], морбача – n. young snake; abus. young snake, young person who is like a snake (e.g., in treachery) [6, p. 349], мушбача – n. baby mouse [6, p. 370], рӯбаҳбача – n. young fox [6, p. 466], сагбача – n. small dog, puppy, уқоббачаn. eaglet [6, p. 556], хирсбача – n. bear cub [6, p. 587], хукбача – n. piglet [6, p. 597], шербача – n. lion cub [6, p. 668], шутурбача – n. camel calf [6, p. 679]: Дар берун ду сагбача бозӣ мекарданд (There were two puppies playing outside). Abus. contemptible person: Ман ба вай сагбача нишон медиҳам (I’ll teach that jerk a lesson) [6, p. 474].

In the second sentence, the compound word сагбача is translated as a simple jerk stylistically.

Based on the above-given examples, we decided to dwell and canvass EEs of TDWs derived by virtue of the relevant suffix and the word бача/baby are not identical, namely, the majority of them are used and translated into EL as simple, derivative & mix structural and composite ones. Their generalities and differences are shown in the below table:

Proceeding from the assumption of the above-mentioned table we can underscore that majority of EEs of TDWs derived by means of -ча and composed by the word бача/baby are composite and phrases (52%) ones.

In reference to it, the following English suffixes -en, -y and -let participate to form a number of new words denoting to the notions of animals’ cub, however, in Tajik, the suffix -ча and the word бача/baby occur as Tajik equivalents of EDWs. As well as, in English, certain original adjectives (small 3 instances, little once, young twice) are resorted as EEs of TDWs derived by means of -ча and composed by the word бача/baby to compose many composite words and phrases and the relevant morphological peculiarities and word-building potentiality is considered to be one of the distinctive ones in the corpus of our study.

Comparison of the level of usage of the suffix -ча

and the word бача/baby in the corpus of our study

Designing on the premise of the above-adduced diagram one can assert that the level of usage of word-building potentially of the word бача/baby is more frequently-used then the suffix -ча in the corpus of our study.

There are a number of certain specific words expressing the notions of animals’ cub in English [7], therefore we decided to adduce them in the below table:

As well as, there are a number of words denoting the notions of animals’ cub in Tajik, however, their quantity is lesser then English ones, including: барра, гӯсола, ҷӯча, той, хӯтук and so on.

Conclusion

Adducing the results of the conducted analysis one can come to the conclusion that the word-building element under study is word-building element is considered to be one of productive ones contributed into animals` cub derivation.

It is worth stressing that the English equivalents of Tajik derivative words formed by means of the suffix -ча and composed by the word бача/baby those ones are not identical and the majority of them are used and translated into English as simple, derivative, compound, composite ones and phrases. As well as, their generalities and differences are shown in the above-adduced tables in details.

Bibliography:

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4. Розӣ Шамси Қайс. Ал-муъҷам / Муаллифи сарсухану тавзеҳот ва ҳозиркунандаи чоп У. Тоиров. Душанбе: Адиб, 1991. 463 с.

5. Рустамов Ш. Калимасозии исм дар забони адабии ҳозираи тоҷик. Душанбе: Дониш, 1972. 77 с.

6. Mamatov J., Harell S.J., Kehoe K, Khodjibaev K. Tajik-English Dictionary. Springfield, VA: Dunvody Press, 2005. XLIII, 741 p.

7. Piglet [Web resource] // Cambridge Dictionary. 2024. URL: https://goo.su/7jpIKZI (reference date: 05.07.2024).

Data about the author:

Ashrapov Bahodurjon Pulotovich – Candidate of Philological Sciences, Senior Lecturer of Linguistics and Comparative Typology Department, Khujand State University named after Academician Bobojon Gafurov (Khujand, Tajikistan).

Сведения об авторе:

Ашрапов Баходурджон Пулотович – кандидат филологических наук, старший преподаватель кафедры языкознания и сравнительной типологии Худжандского государственного университета имени академика Бободжана Гафурова (Худжанд, Таджикистан).

E-mail: bahodur.ashrapov@mail.ru.