Word Family with a Common Base чомуо [chomu] ‘to be big’ in Language of Forest Yukaghirs

Abstract

This study analyzes the word family with a common base чомуо [chomu] in the language of Forest Yukaghirs. It demonstrates that this word family comprises a collection of words sharing a common element, interconnected through synchronous derivational relationships. The nest consists of a substantial number of derivatives, is elaborately structured, and forms three levels of derivation, encompassing a total of 33 members. It is established that at the paradigmatic level, the nest is represented by 10 paradigms, while at the syntagmatic level, it features 23 derivational chains, where each subsequent word is subordinate to its predecessor. The analysis reveals that the word family includes units of various parts of speech, such as nouns, verbs, qualitative verbs, participles, gerundial adverbs, and adverbs. The example of the selected word family illustrates that in the language of Forest Yukaghirs, noun formation can occur through the lexicalization of phrases. The relevance of compiling lexicographic descriptions of the Forest Yukaghir language is underscored by the current absence of derivational dictionaries for the Yukaghir language. This study emphasizes that investigating the composition and structure of the word family will open new avenues for further exploration of the peculiarities of Yukaghir word formation and will facilitate the identification, description, and clarification of affix meanings.