During the study, a questionnaire program was used to record and analyze the structural organization of meteorological and astronomical vocabulary of the Eastern Steppe dialects. The vocabulary was systematized into thematic groups, and the lexical and semantic features of meteorological and astronomical names were examined. The spatial characteristics of these names were also determined. The study aimed to explore the connections between meteorological and astronomical names and the local worldview, traditional beliefs, and ideas of dialect speakers. The correlation between meteorological and astronomical nominations of the Eastern Steppe dialects and the corresponding vocabulary of other Ukrainian dialects, as well as the national literary language, was also clarified.
This work is the first to provide a detailed and comprehensive characterization of the meteorological and astronomical terms used in the Eastern Steppe dialects of the Southeastern region. The Dictionary of Meteorological, Astronomical, and Calendar-Temporal Vocabulary of the Eastern Steppe Dialects is a compilation of extensive factual material that reflects the current state and specific usage of this vocabulary in the newly created dialects.
A total of ten groups of vocabulary related to meteorology were analyzed, and each group was identified as a lexical and semantic group. These groups include «Weather Names», «Weather Condition Names», «Drought and Dry Season Names», «Wind and Related Phenomena and Processes Names», «Precipitation Names» (which includes «Snow Related Names» and «Rain Related Names»), «Optical Phenomena Names» (such as «Rainbow Names» and «Haze Names»), «Atmospheric Phenomena Names» (including «Manifested in the Atmosphere Light and Sound Phenomena Names», «Dew and Fog Related Names», and «Clouds and Related Processes Names»), «Frost and Related Phenomena Names», «Water Freezing Related Names and Processes», and «Thaw Related Names». Among these groups, the «Snow Related Names» group is the most numerous, with 29 semes, and it is part of the «Precipitation Names» group.
There are five sets of Lexical Semantic Groups (LSGs) within the thematic vocabulary group called «Astronomy». These LSGs are: «Astronomical Concepts Common Names and Related Processes Names», «Stars, their Kinds and Related Processes Names», «Galaxies and Constellations Names», «Moon, its Phases and Related Processes Names», and «Sun and Related Processes Names». Among them, the LSG «Sun and Related Processes Names» has high functional activity and contains twelve different semantic features.
The biggest part of the vocabulary in the analyzed thematic vocabulary groups is commonly used names (poïhoda (weather), hоïdyna (hour), nеïhoda (bad weather), zïlyva (rainfall), ïradyha (rainbow), sukhoïv’іy (dry wind), ïv’іter (wind), ïvykhor (worlwind), bоïloto (swamp), tepïl'іn' (heat), v’іdïlyha (thaw), ïzasukha (drought), sïpeka (scorching heat), zhаïrа (heat), r'іvïch'аk (groove), kholоdïnech'а (cold weather), buïrul'kа (icecle), kryhoïkh’iд (ice drift), ïzatyshok (coziness), etc. ); frequent are the borrowings from the Russian language, as evidenced, in particular, by the corresponding phonetic form (ïоt':еp'еl' (thaw), dukhoït'іsh'ch'е (swelter), duïbar' (teeth-chattering cold), іspaïr'еn'іie (damp), v’ïyuha (snowstorm), ïіzmorozs' (silver thaw), m’іït'еl' (blizzard), kïroshka (glazed snow), suhïrobp (snowbank), troïpinka (path), skvozïn'аk (draught), soïsul'kа (icecle), ïsolntse (sun), vosïkhod (sunrise), ras:v'еt (sunrise), ïs'еv'еrnyi (northern), ïyuzhnyi (southern), vosïtoch'nyi (eastern), ïzapadnyi (western), etc.); archaisms (znoi (sultriness), ïvozdukh (air), ïz'iabpkо (chilly), zv’іzïdа (star), etc.), and dialectisms (myïhych'yt' (sleety shower), zal'іïpukha (wet snow), kоаvïz'еl' (ice), suïp'оlky (icecles), etc.).
The dialects spoken in the Eastern Steppe region are characterized by a high frequency of synonyms, antonyms, comparisons, and phraseological units. These dialects also have a variety of words that can have multiple meanings, especially when it comes to describing things as coarse or tender. The analyzed lexical and semantic groups contain a significant number of accentual, phonetic, morphological, and word-formation variations.
