The Associative-Verbal Field of 'Qonaq' (Guest) in the Kazakh Language: Empirical Research
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1603.07Keywords:
linguistic consciousness, associative experiment, associative-verbal field, guest, stimulusAbstract
In Kazakh national consciousness, the concept of “konak – kut” (guest – for the good) is deeply rooted in the cultural code. The study explores whether this traditional notion has changed in modern society or retained its symbolic value. It focuses on how the word “guest” is represented in the linguistic consciousness of contemporary Kazakh youth. The research highlights links between language and consciousness, culture, nation, and society. Linguistic consciousness reflects a subjective worldview encoded through language. Studying these expressions reveals traits of collective and national identity. In a globalizing world, understanding how youth relate to traditional values is especially important. This interdisciplinary study uses linguistic material collected from fluent Kazakh speakers aged 17 to 25, offering insight into the ethno-cultural awareness of Kazakh youth. A free associative experiment was conducted to examine how young people perceive the word konak (guest), which carries idio-ethnic meaning. The stimulus word triggered 173 associations. These were analyzed to construct the associative-verbal field of “konak.” At the center of the field lies the word dastarkan, reflecting a strong link between youth consciousness and Kazakh hospitality traditions. The study also examined syntagmatic, paradigmatic, and phrasal relations within the field. In conclusion, the associative-verbal field of konak is richly structured, and Kazakh youth continue to maintain a strong connection to their cultural heritage through language, despite the impact of modern social changes.
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