Micro-Terminological System of “Strigiform Names” in the Tatar Language

Authors
  • Olga Nikolaevna Galimova

    Института языка, литературы и искусства имени Г. Ибрагимова Академии наук Республики Татарстан

    Author

Keywords:
the Tatar language, zoological terminology, terminological system, ornithonym, bird names, polysemia, synonymy, term formation
Abstract

The research focuses on the diachronic development of the ornithonyms designating birds of the order Strigiformes birds (owls). The objective of the paper is to present the evolution of the micro-terminological system of “Strigiformes nomenclature” in Tatar.

The analysis was conducted on the basis of a broad corpus of lexicographic sources, which ensured the representativeness of the sample and revealed both quantitative and qualitative changes in the terminological system. The chains presented, based on lexicographic data, make it possible to trace the history of individual terms and identify the features of the microterminological system development as a whole. The analysis reveals that the foundation of this micro-terminological system is formed by lexemes of Common Turkic origin. A distinctive feature of this terminology group is the absence of borrowed terms at the present stage of development; the borrowings proposed during certain periods failed to take their place in terminology. It was revealed that ornithonyms, being polysemants, in terminology, having gone through an individual path of development, become monosemants. Synonymy is represented by non-extended synonymous rows and in small quantities. The consolidation of the ornithonym yabalaq as the only term in the meaning «owl» according to terminological dictionaries refers only to the 21st century. Its main competitor in this meaning is the ornithonym meche bashly yabalaq, which later remains synonymous only with the ornithonym baigysh ‘eagle owl’. The paper demonstrates the intertwining of bird names with their meanings. It has been determined that the main term-forming ornithonym is yabalaq ‘owl’, with which most of the bird names of the owl and barn owl families are formed. The ornithonym baigysh ‘eagle owl’ which is a derivative of qosh ‘bird’ is involved in the formation of bird names of the genera of eagle owls and fish owls. The insignificant role of the generic component of qosh ‘bird’ in the word-forming process is explained by the early formation of the names of the main owls representatives. It is concluded that the owls names are an open developing micro-terminological system. At the present stage of development, it is expected that the micro-terminological system will be replenished with new units, and individual terms will be clarified.

The results of this study elucidate the mechanisms underlying the formation and evolution of Tatar terminological systems and can be applied in lexicographic practice.

Author Biography
  1. Olga Nikolaevna Galimova, Института языка, литературы и искусства имени Г. Ибрагимова Академии наук Республики Татарстан

    Cand. of Sciences (Philology), senior researcher

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Micro-Terminological System of “Strigiform Names” in the Tatar Language. (2026). Scientific Tatarstan. Humanities, 2, 83-106. https://ntatarstan.ru/index.php/ntatarstan/article/view/18