BEYOND THE SPECTRUM: A COMPARATIVE LINGUOCULTURAL ANALYSIS OF COLOR LEXICON IN JAPANESE, ENGLISH, AND KARAKALPAK

Abstract

This article presents a comprehensive comparative analysis of the lexical systems of color terminology in three genetically and typologically distinct languages: Japanese, English, and Karakalpak. While the study of color terms has been central to the debate between linguistic universalism and relativism, few studies have juxtaposed these specific linguocultures to identify the unique models of color conceptualization they represent. Methods: The study employs a multi-faceted methodology combining a descriptive method for inventorying color lexicons, a comparative method to identify universal and specific traits, and a linguocultural analysis to interpret the symbolic and phraseological semantics of color terms. The theoretical framework synthesizes the universalist theory of Basic Color Terms (BCT) by Berlin and Kay with a culturally-sensitive approach rooted in the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis. Results: The analysis revealed three distinct models of organizing the lexico-semantic field of color.