Comparative analysis of phraseological units with the zoonym 鸡 – chicken, rooster in Chinese and Russian
DOI: 10.23951/1609-624X-2026-6-7-16
The study of specific features of phraseological units on the example of several languages is an urgent direction in the conditions of active interlingual and intercultural interaction. Chinese and Russian languages, representing nonclose-related formations and being the leading languages in the global space, require additional researches to identify common and distinctive features in the process of studying sociocultural realities and better assimilation. The object of the article is to identify the lexical and semantic features of phraseological units with the zoonym component 鸡 – chicken, rooster in Chinese and Russian languages. The key method in the work is comparative analysis, which has helped to identify universal and unique lexical and semantic features of phraseological units with a component- zoonym 鸡 – chicken, rooster in Chinese and Russian linguistic cultures. It has been established that in the Chinese phraseological foundation, the zoonym component 鸡 - chicken, rooster to a greater extent, has a negative connotation, symbolizing a weak physical condition (excessive effeminacy, since the chicken in Chinese linguoculture conveys the image of a small, weak, defenseless animal); reckless behavior (the image of the panicked behavior of a chicken in a coop is transferred to confused behavior of a person in everyday situations); life experience (the acquisition of wisdom based on overcoming difficulties, the need to learn from negative practices and events). It has been revealed that in the new sociocultural realities, phraseological units with the zoonym component 鸡 – chicken have changed their original semantics and currently have a positive connotation in the Chinese language: phraseological units with the zoonym component 鸡 – chicken reflect the significant role of women in modern society and represent female leadership and intelligent female guidance. Unlike the Chinese phraseological fund, the Russian phraseological fund shows a clear gender semantic marking of the zoonym components chicken and rooster, moreover, the studied phraseological units have a negative connotation. It has been proven that the zoonym component chicken in the Russian phraseological fund (both in the original and in the current one) is a destructive marker of a woman’s unattractive appearance, bad character, limited mental abilities, and immoral behavior in society. It has been proven that the phraseological units of the Russian language with the component zoonym rooster represent such negative male qualities as an ostentatious appearance, excessive pride, and boastfulness. The components zoonym chicken and rooster in the Russian phraseological fund, as well as in the Chinese language, also symbolize the negative aspects of lifestyle, namely the permanent difficulties in life and the need to overcome them regularly.
Keywords: phraseological unit, zoonym component 鸡 – chicken, rooster, Chinese phraseological fund, Russian phraseological fund, lexical and semantic features
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Issue: 6, 2026
Series of issue: Issue 6
Rubric: THEORETICAL, COMPARATIVE-CONTRASTIVE AND APPLIED LINGUISTICS
Pages: 7 — 16
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