The World beyond the Words: An Axiological Comparative Study of Zoonyms of Russian and Hindi

Abstract

Mankind and the animal kingdom enjoyed a close and interwoven relationship ever since they appeared on earth. This camaraderie found its reflection in language too. That is why the words that name animals have a lot more in their undertones along with the explicit meanings. This article is an endeavor to peep into the world beyond the zoonyms of Russian and Hindi. The comparative study reveals various kinds of connotations that these zoonyms hold for us. These inferences are positive, semi positive and at times, even negative. Some are similar in both the languages, the others are contrasting. Animals are a vital part of Indian mythology. They serve as riders ( vahana ) to deities. Hence Indians have a respectful attitude towards them, even when they may not like a specific behavioral trait of a particular animal. The data for the analyses taken from dictionaries, fiction and spoken language. It was analised through definitive, contextual, pragmatic, cognitive and linguocutural analyses.