Chestnut Colour in the Colour Term System: From Stereotypical to Advertising Terms

Aim . Using colour descriptions of a chestnut, which function in the texts of various discourses, to describe a segment of the colour conceptual sphere of the floristic space in the Russian language. Methodology . An analysis of functioning of colouristic descriptions of a chestnut in the texts of various discourses was carried out, which made it possible to create a comprehensive description of a segment of the colour conceptual sphere of the Russian language. At various stages of the study the following methods were used: continuous sampling, descriptive-analytical, contextual, directed associative experiment, and quantitative data processing. Results . The composition of colour terms actualized in colour perception and visualization of a chestnut was identified (27); colour dominants were defined, as well as unique descriptions of the plant. Methods for refining the colour meaning using composites of various compositions (22) and colour chains (6) were described. Methods of expanding the spectrum of lexemes with the meaning of colour intensity, with implicit colour, with the meaning of ‘to be in bloom’, ‘to lose colour’, ‘light’ and ‘darkness’ were identified. The compatibility of colour terms with phytonym-related lexemes, spatial, somatic, visage-related, etc. was described. The functionality of chestnut descriptions was revealed, which is realized mainly in the ontological, pictorial-expressive, prototypical function, in the function of colour chronotype creating. A list of colour designations based on chestnut descriptions was compiled – 107 units, 79 of which were not previously recorded in colour terms dictionaries; the specifics of their creation and functioning were described. Research implications . The study contributes to the description of the colour conceptual sphere of the floristic space of the Russian language.