Zoonymic Fund of G. Touqay’s Poetry: Thematic Groups and Their Poetic Potential

Authors

  • Elvira Irfatovna Safina

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

    Author

Keywords:
Gabdulla Touqay, ornithonym, zoonym, animal image, zoomorphic image, zoonymic vocabulary
Abstract

Gabdulla Touqay’s poetic legacy is distinguished by its thematic diversity and variety of artistic means. Zoonyms with evaluative and symbolic connotations take a significant place in the language of his works. This paper is devoted to the analysis of the poet’s zoonymic fund, a collection of lexemes referring to animals. The lack of research of animalistic vocabulary in Touqay’s works as an integral system determines the relevance of the given paper. The purpose of the paper is to systematically describe the composition, thematic structure and functional types of zoonymic vocabulary in G.Touqay’s poetry. The article analyzes the lexemes referring to the representatives of the main biological groups – mammals, birds, insects, reptiles, fish, amphibians, arachnids and worms – and sets quantitative and functional parameters for each of these groups. It has been revealed that mammals (primarily domestic species: kezhe ‘goat’, at ‘horse’, pesi / meche ‘cat’, et ‘dog’, saryq ‘sheep’, syer ‘cow’) and birds take the central place, while other groups are found in smaller numbers. Special attention is given to the semantic and functional load of zoonyms: from direct nominative use to detailed metaphors and symbols.

The study of Touqay’s poetic works reveals that zoomorphic figures, expressed through diverse lexical items, fulfill an extensive spectrum of roles ranging from elevated romanticism to satire and tragedy. Insect-related lexemes function as tools for both direct reference and the construction of symbolic representations. Designations for reptiles, fish, amphibians, arachnids, and worms, though infrequent, are likewise employed in figurative, simile-based, and symbolic contexts in addition to their primary definitions.

    This research highlights the diversity of thematic clusters and the expressive capacity inherent in Tоuqay’s zoolexicon. Concurrently, lexical distribution proves to be extremely skewed, with its figurative functions being contingent upon the semantic framework of each specific term. The analysis foregrounds the poet’s idiosyncratic modifications of conventional connotations. The findings suggest that zoomorphic imagery serves not merely an illustrative purpose, but acts as a core sense-making device, contributing to the formation of satirical, existential, and social-critical dimensions in his work.

Author Biography
  1. Elvira Irfatovna Safina, Института языка, литературы и искусства имени Г. Ибрагимова Академии наук Республики Татарстан

    Cand. of Sciences (Philology), Senior Researcher

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Published
2026-11-02
Issue
No. 2 (2026)
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Philology
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Zoonymic Fund of G. Touqay’s Poetry: Thematic Groups and Their Poetic Potential. (2026). Scientific Tatarstan. Humanities, 2, 63-82. https://ntatarstan.ru/index.php/ntatarstan/article/view/17