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27Научный журнал № 1, 2018
9
УДК 811.111; 811.512.161 Мильц Евгения Витальевна
Кандидат филологических наук, доцент кафедры лингводидактики, Пермский государственный национальный исследовательский университет. 614990, г. Пермь, ул. Букирева, д. 15. Тел.: 8 (342) 2396-314 E-mail: janerm@list.ru
КОНЦЕПТ «ЖЕНЩИНА» В ТУРЕЦКОЙ И АНГЛИЙСКОЙ КУЛЬТУРАХ (НА МАТЕРИАЛЕ ЛИНГВОКУЛЬТУРНОГО АНАЛИЗА ПОСЛОВИЦ И ПОГОВОРОК)
В статье рассматриваются языковые средства репрезентации женской идентичности в турецких и английских пословицах и поговорках. Пословицы и поговорки служат средством вербализации заложенных в языке традиционных культурных смыслов. Методология анализа включает в себя идентификацию и сравнительный анализ языковых единиц, репрезентирующих женские черты.
Ключевые слова: репрезентация, пословица, поговорка, фразеологическая единица, лингвокультура, культурный смысл.
Introduction
The up-to-date anthropocentric, or human-oriented approach to humanitarian sciences puts man in the center of many linguistic studies where interest to man is a starting point for various cultural and language observations. Language studies play an important role in identifying cultural specificity of the national representations of human nature. Comparative study of verbal representation of anthroposociogenetic cultural senses in different thematic groups of fixed language units (such as phraseological expressions, proverbs, sayings, aphorisms, etc.) contributes to embracing cultural diversity and more successful cross-cultural communication.
Proverbs and sayings are laconic and often figurative grains of folk wisdom used to express general ideas about life or practical recommendations. According to A. Akin,"Toplumlarin ya§am bi9imlerini ve deger yargilarini bir yargiya varilmi§ §ekliyle aktaran kulturel oge olan atasozleri, ya sosyal ve ahlaki bir kurali ya bir tecrubeyi ya da gelenegi temsil eden bir degerdirler" [Akin, 2008, p. 2]. They have been crystallized by oral tradition and remain virtually unchanged throughout generations. In this paper proverbs and sayings are not differentiated; following the tradition of such Russian linguists as A.V. Kunin, E.M Vereshchagin and V.G.Kostomarov, etc. we accept a broad view on proverbs and sayings as paremias or phraseological units. Thus, proverbs and sayings (PAS) syntactically have the form of a sentence and semantically manifest traditional cultural values; very often they are based on polysemy (metaphor, metonymy, personification, paradox, antithesis are the most frequent devices).
Main Part
Turkish and English proverbs and sayings have shaped under the influence of national and cultural semantics of the language; i.e. they are ethnically specific and culturally marked. In other words, proverbs and sayings are closely linked to such components of the national lifestyle as history, religion, social structure, geographical position, folklore, outlook, art, everyday life, etc. It is due to the cultural component that Turkish or English proverbs and sayings are clear and familiar to the speakers of the respective languages and compose an integral unit of their general way of looking at things. At the same time, for a representative of a different language culture they can be vague that leads to full or partial misunderstanding. As S. Gune§ points out, «en zor ogrenilen, kulturun bir par9asi, dilin vazge9ilemez bir bolumunu, ruhunu olu§turan kalipla§mi§ anlatimlardir.
Bunun nedeni de kalipla§mi§ sozlerini her ulusun kendine ozgu bir bi9imde, anlatimlarini kendi mantigini yansitir bir §ekilde yaratmi§ olmasidir. Bu mantiklar 90k farkli, birbirine benzer ya da ayni olabilir. i§te bu mantigin yaratisi, kalipla§mi§ anlatim olarak nitelendirilen atasozleri, deyimler, tamlamalar, alki§lar, kargi§lardir» [Gune§, 1999, p.i].
There can be no doubt that female representation in phraseology is specific, rooted in the national mentality and full of cultural senses. Different attitude to woman in Muslim and Western European traditions provokes much interest. Thus, a comparative study of female representation in proverbs and sayings in Turkish and English cultures that are traditionally considered very unsimilar (e.g., in terms of G. Hofstede's dimensions of culture), is of great interest.
The purpose of this study is to identify and compare cultural meanings, or senses, implied in verbal markers of female representation in Turkish and English PAS. This purpose can be accomplished by the following actions:
1. Lay theoretical grounds for study.
2. Obtain investigation material: search for PAS with female semantic component with the application of continuous sampling method in the "Oxford Dictionary of English Proverbs" and "A Dictionary of Turkish Proverbs" by Metin Yurtba§i.
3. Analyze the obtained material:
a. Identify cultural senses in PAS;
b. Categorize PAS according to the cultural senses revealed at the previous stage;
c. Find the main regularities in each thematic group;
d. Carry out comparative analysis.
2. Make conclusions about overlapping or unique cultural senses across the two cultures under consideration.
The key term used in this work is that of cultural senses or cultural meanings as fundamental for a particular culture mental constructs reflected in proverbs and sayings. The term is somewhat similar to that of a concept; however, as concepts are strongly associated with the analysis procedure by means of frames and slots, preference was given to cultural senses study as a tool of linguocultural and not purely cognitive analysis.
For empiric observations culturally marked proverbs and sayings in Turkish and in English have been used that contain female semantic component. Total amount of the language units found in dictionaries equals 481 (127 in English, and 354 in Turkish). Today there exist quite a number of works on English proverbs and sayings belonging to different thematic groups, also including the female topic. It should be noted that many Turkish and English proverbs and sayings are polysemantic and therefore ambiguous, that complicates identification, interpretation and comparison. Highly figurative character of some language units makes it difficult to assess whether female component is present in a certain proverb or not. For example, in the proverb Cins kedi olusunu gostermez there is no mention of a woman; however, metaphoricity of the proverb makes it possible to regard it as pertaining to dignified female behavior.
Proverbs and sayings identified as verbalizing female representation in the compared language cultures have been divided into 4 main groups which are represented (though not symmetrically) in both Turkish and English. They are proverbs and sayings reflecting 1) general ideas about woman's nature and character; 2) man-woman relationships, 3) the role of woman in the family and house, and 4) ways of woman's socialization outside the house. The next step was to define how these thematic groups are filled and what cultural senses are revealed in PAS of the respective languages.
1. The first group of PAS is most densely populated in both languages: roughly about 50% of Turkish and 60% English PAS fall into this category. In the framework of this group woman is portrayed from the point of view of both her physical appearance (Bagin taglisi karinin saglisi), and also certain, mainly negative, features of character: changeability and fickleness (Kadin deniz gibidir; Women naturally deceive, weep and spin), talkativeness (Ari sirri kari sirri), light-mindedness (A woman's tongue wags like a lamb's tail), wastefulness (Woman, priests and poultry have never enough). In PAS of this group we can observe many similarities.
A close look at the English PAS shows that female beauty is perceived as inimical to the normal state of things. While acknowledging female beauty, folk wisdom attributes to it such cultural senses as temptation and danger: Beauty draws more than oxen; Woman and a cherry are painted for their own harm. In this connection it can be said that the cultural sense of female beauty's extremity can be traced back to the medieval phenomenon of witch-hunt when beautiful women were more likely to be claimed witches than plain-looking.
Other negative cultural senses reflected in both cultures are female weakness, fragility and incapability: Woman's work is never at an end (never done); Kadin mall, kapi mandah.
The idea of woman being more sinful than man is revealed that exists both in Islam and Christianity. Because of that woman's nature is viewed as diabolic and infernal (Kadinin §erri §eytan §errinden egittir; Women are the devil's nets); her ability to spread discord and provoke conflicts is also accentuated (Bal arindan, kavga karindan cikar). In English PAS female nature is associated with destructive force (A fair wife and frontier castle breed quarrels).
At the same time, some English and a lot of Turkish PAS with positive connotations were registered (All women are good; What woman wants God wants). The Turkish linguistic culture admits female unlikeness and the role of individual character (Avrat vardir arpadan a§ eder, avrat vardir bulguru ke§ eder) and creative female energy that can move the world and attain even the unattainable: Gokyuzunde dugun var deseler, kadinlar merdiven kurmaya kalkar. It can be concluded that in spite of many similarities across this group of PAS in the two cultures, there are more denigrating and insulting proverbs about women in English than in Turkish.
2. PAS referring to the group "Man-woman relationships" stress the cultural meaning of male dominance and the subordinate position of woman (Avrat, at, bag sahibini hep geng ister; A woman, a dog, and a walnut tree, the more you beat them, the better they be). In comparison, the share of these language units in Turkish and English can be roughly defined as 20% and 15%. Apparently, quite a lot of Turkish proverbs clearly indicate that woman is inferior to man and cannot be considered equal both physically and mentally (Karinin bir akli, erkegin dokuz akli vardir). The norms of social behavior are also not the same for men and women; for a woman extramarital affair is shame, but for a man it can be a matter of prestige (Kadin erkegin elinin kiri). However, Turkish PAS pay more attention to the idea of man being responsible for woman (Horozsuz tavuk gobansiz suruye benzer). Among English PAS, this group is represented by some 20% of all language units found, and cultural senses are not as homogeneous as in the respective Turkish group .of PAS comprises language units that reflect the attitude of the respective cultures to sexual sphere. It should be noted that in spite of the existing stereotype that Western culture is more tolerant, it is in the English PAS that asymmetrical sexist treatment of woman is found (Woman resists in order to be conquered; A woman kissed is half taken). This cultural sense is probably connected with negative attitude of Christianity to body pleasures. The Turkish PAS convey the idea of more sensible and tolerant approach to sexual needs of a woman in the Muslim culture, given that marriage is the only culturally acceptable form for their realization: kadin yatakta, bebek be§ikte sevilir. It should also be stressed that Turkish PAS recognize that often the leading role inside the marriage belongs to woman: Kadin kocasini isterse vezir, isterse rezil eder.
On the whole, PAS referring to this group show not so clearly marked degree of overlapping, as those of the first group. Thus, we can state a somewhat more directive nature of the Turkish PAS reflecting the normative function of culture regulating gender behavior from the perspective of male superiority: Kadin kocasinin carigi, anasinin sarigidir; Ana kizina taht kurar, kiz bahti kocadan arar. The English PAS can be characterized by a more distant, ironic and philosophic approach to man-woman relationships: Who has a woman has an eel by the tail. The most frequent cultural sense attributed to this group of English PAS is that there is no way for men to regulate female behavior; probably it is inherent in the Protestant vision of man and woman as responsible and autonomous individuals. Perhaps, the quintessence of this hands-off approach to marriage is expressed in the famous Oscar Wilde quote that can also be considered to have become a proverb:
There is nothing in the world like the devotion of a married woman. It is a thing no married man knows anything about.
Another reason is likely to be linked with the well-known English privacy protection and dislike to excessive emotionality: «Serious analysis of a problem or a detailed account of personal life is always filtered through humorous, self-deprecating irony. Such irony is utterly confusing for foreigners; we share a distinctive sense of the absurdity of life which simply does not seem funny to most people» [Hewitt, 2009, p. 304].
Quite opposite, the Turkish culture views female behavior pertaining to love and marriage only in terms of tradition and does not recognize woman as part of humanity.
3. In the third group PAS are included that characterize the status of woman at home and in the family. Turkish PAS belonging to this group make up approximately 20%, and the English ones 15 % of the total PAS number. In the respective linguistic cultures the main accent is put on the role of hostess of the house as woman's primary responsibility: Where the mistress is the master the parsley grows the faster; Yuvayi yapan di§i ku§tur. A number of Turkish PAS reflect a very specific cultural attitude to spatial division of responsibilities: the outer sphere, social space belongs to man, and the inside sphere, the space of the house - to woman, where she reigns (Kadini evinden, erkegi pirinden sorarlar).
Proverbs and sayings give an account of traditional family relations characteristic of the English and Turkish cultures. According to the long-established Muslim norms of woman's behavior in Turkish family she has to be decent, submissive and devoted (Kizi duvak, gelini be§ik arkasinda gormeli). A married woman's reputation rests on her ability to obey her husband: Erkek korkusu, Allah korkusu. According to our analysis of female representation in the given language cultures, for both Turkish and English speakers a married woman should not only be honest but also a good housewife and look after the house and children: The foot on the cradle and hand on the distaff is the sign of a good wife. Motherhood is the greatest honor a woman can achieve: Kizi kizken gorme, gelinken gor; gelinken gorme be§ik ardinda gor; Ana hakki Tanri hakki. An essential quality for woman is her ability to cook and provide good food for the family even within the limited budget (Erkek getirmeyi, kadin yetirmeyi bilmeli).
The English and Turkish PAS show negative and even disdainful attitude to henpecked husbands: (Kadinin hukmettigi evde mutluluk olmaz; It's a sad house where the hen crows louder than the cock. ). Quite the contrary, to rule a woman with a heavy hand is useful and appropriate as the very female nature that is unpredictable, chaotic and diabolic requires strict, if not severe, treatment (Kadin sopayi kocasina eliyle verir).
From the ancient times women were respected for the ability to give birth to viable and healthy children (Doguran avrat azraili yenmi§), and in the Turkish PAS it is emphasized that woman's main function is giving life to a male baby, an heir, a future supporter of the family. This specific attitude can be explained by the social and economic factors and also by peculiarities of the patriarchal culture and established hierarchy of social and family roles. It is known that in the Turkish family every man, even a child, is valued more than a woman. In the English PAS this cultural meaning is not so clearly marked.
Summing up, this group of PAS verbalizes similar cultural senses; however, Turkish PAS show more emphasis on woman's rights and responsibilities regarding domestic life.
4. PAS of the group "Socialization outside family" are represented by the smallest number of language units (10% for both Turkish and English). However, this group is probably the most heterogeneous one as it verbalizes a whole range of cultural senses: necessity to follow the generally accepted rules (Kadini erkek degil, ar ve namus korur); women's habit to get together and chat (Three women make a market); domineering role of the mistress of the house (A woman's place is at home), that however does not interfere with social life and entertainments (firkin kari evin toplar, guzel kari sokak gezer). It should be noted that the English PAS are more permissive regarding the ways of woman's socialization and not so rigid in describing the norms of behavior. Thus, the English people do not consider chastity the ethic absolute: A maid and a virgin is not all,
whereas in the Turkish culture the contrary is stated: Bey beyligini verir, kiz kizligini vermez. Moreover, the English culture allows women to shape public opinion and manage the information medium (Deeds are males, and words are females). There has also been identified the cultural sense of female wisdom and ability to make fair judgements: Women's counsel is cold.
Conclusion
In general, the cultural senses revealed in English and Turkish PAS manifest that from the point of view of language culture woman is not an individual with her own feelings, emotions and interests, but first of all a social creature. Proverbs and sayings put in the first place culturally determined interpretation of socially approved behavior based on deeply rooted traditional ideas about honor, decency and propriety. An interesting fact is that the English PAS emphasize necessity to avoid female disrepute and gossip (What will Mrs. Grundy say?), i.e. things that can be said and heard. So, the implication is that women possess real social power and their opinions should be treated with respect. The Turkish proverbs and sayings are more likely to use visual images. According to them, one of the cultural functions of a decent woman is always to please the eye of the male head of the family and observe outward decorum in both family and social life (Cins kedi ölüsünü göstermez).
Thus, in PAS of the respective languages we can trace both similarities and differences. Similarities have been registered in PAS of all the 4 groups, though they are most evident in the first group and least evident in the fourth. Linguistic and cultural analysis leads to the conclusion that woman's nature is viewed in the more or less similar way in both cultures, but woman's relations with the surrounding people and outside world are strongly influenced by the national historical and cultural traditions, lifestyles, gender roles and appropriate behavior.
References
1. Akin A. Dogudan Batidan: Bir kültür ögesi olan "Türk Atasözleri'nin "Yönetim Paradigmalari" a^isindan incelenmesi / Uluslararasi Insan Bilimleri Dergisi, Cilt:5 Sayi:2 Yil:2008; p. 1-29.
2. Güne§ S. Türk ve Rus Atasözleri Arasindaki Benzerlikler. Istanbul: Yüksek Lisans Tezi, 1999. 101 s.
3. Hewitt K. Understanding Britain today. Oxford, Perspective Publications LTD, 2009. 456 p.
Milz E. V.
PhD of Philology, Associate Professor, Linguodidactics Department, Perm State University
FEMALE REPRESENTATION IN TURKISH AND ENGLISH CULTURES (BASED ON LINGUOCULTURAL ANALYSIS OF PROVERBS AND SA YINGS)
The paper examines verbal representation of the female identity in Turkish and English proverbs and sayings. Proverbs and sayings are means of verbalizing traditional cultural values mirrored in language. Methodology of analysis includes identification and comparative study of female-related language units.
Key words: representation, proverb, saying, phraseological unit, language culture, cultural sense.
