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Katvalyan V., Khachatryan H., Barnasyan J., Gharibyan A., Hodgson C., Kumunts M. Domestic Animals in Armenian Proverbs: A Cognitive Approach

V. Katvalyan
Head of the Department of Dialectology, Institute of Language named after Hrachya Acharyan, NAS of the RA
Yerevan, Armenia
ORCID: 0009-0002-2597-4808
E-mail: viktorkatvalyan@gmail.com  

 

H. Khachatryan
PhD in Philology, Senior Researcher, Institute of Language named after Hrachya Acharyan, NAS of the RA; Lecturer, Russian-Armenian University
Yerevan, Armenia
ORCID: 0009-0005-1502-4114
E-mail: khachhasmik@yahoo.com  

 

J. Barnasyan
Senior Researcher, Institute of Language named after Hrachya Acharyan, NAS of the RA
Yerevan, Armenia
ORCID: 0009-0003-7628-1873
E-mail: barnasyanjemma@mail.ru

 

A. Gharibyan
Lecturer, Yerevan State Medical University
Yerevan, Armenia
ORCID: 0009-0007-5458-7766
E-mail: alinagharibyan@rambler.ru

 

C. Hodgson
PhD in Linguistics, Research Associate, University of Cambridge
Cambridge, UK
ORCID: 0000-0002-1767-9262
E-mail: keh64@cam.ac.uk

 

M. Kumunts
PhD in Philology, Associate Professor, Researcher,
Institute of Language named after Hrachya Acharyan, NAS of the RA;
Syunik Armenological Research Center; Goris State University
Yerevan; Goris, Armenia
ORCID: 0000-0001-5496-3783
E-mail: mherkumunts@gmail.com

 

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ABSTRACT. In this study, we consider the characteristics of domestic animals as conceived of and expressed in the Armenian language, making use of the material provided by the proverbs of Shirak region in the Republic of Armenia, while also making reference to the perceptions of other peoples, showing commonalities and differences. We analyze what the proverbs suggest about the relationship between people and the animal world, and accordingly, what ideas people have about animals. In the 340 proverbs analyzed here, the names of 15 domestic animals are found, and in terms of frequency of occurrence, the top three are the donkey, the dog, and the cow/ox/calf group. Then come the following animal names: sheep and lamb, horse, goat and kid, cat, camel, buffalo, mule, pig. Based on the information in these proverbs, itself an expression of human cognition, we present the characteristics of the abovementioned animals according to their behavior and appearance, and according to animal — human and animal — animal relations. In proverbs, the characteristics of animals involve body parts, appearance, behavior, temperament, function, usefulness, food, living place, etc. At the same time, the attitude of people towards domestic animals is also expressed, which differs according to the type of animal. It is noticeable that those animals that are a source of food and have an economic function, but do not have undesirable characteristics of behavior and temperament receive a positive attitude. Uselessness, stupidity, aggressiveness, disobedience, theft, stubbornness, impurity, etc. are causes of negative attitudes. There are both commonalities and differences in the frequency of animal names and people’s attitudes towards animals in the proverbs of Shirak as compared to those of other peoples. In both cases, factors such as environment, economic activities, lifestyle, customs, beliefs, contacts, etc. play a role.

 

KEYWORDS: animal proverbs, environment, cognition, character, linguistic thinking

 

DOI 10.31250/2618-8600-2025-3(29)-162-185
UDK 398.91(=19)

 

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