Equine Coat Names in the Tuvan Language

Abstract

An equine coat is defined as the color of horse hair. Equine coat is distinctive as a term due to being an indicator of the lifestyle of any society, although it appears limitedly in the vocabulary of a specific language. Indeed, one can find the term in the vocabulary of the Tuvans, a community that had led a nomadic lifestyle until recently. Words related to equine coats in Tuvan are remarkably common and extensive. The impact of historical and cultural continuity as well as the significant place horses have in Tuvan society even today cannot be ignored when underpinning the extensive use of these words. Therefore, this study will analyze the appearance of words related to equine coat or horse hair from diachronic and synchronistic points of view. The study features 18 main items and their sub-items exploring equine coats specific to the Tuvan language. The analysis stage also introduces certain morphemes in Tuvan that are found to have been borrowed from other languages. Due to the research subject being equine coat names in Tuvan, a qualitative method will be used in the analysis. Consequently, the study will reveal the meanings and structures of the equine coat names that were identified in Tuvan and in this way contribute to understanding the distinctive components used in the semantic definition of equine coat names and the form characteristics these names have as examined structurally in Tuvan.